String Theory (Danganronpa V3)
by NeoStarReset
Summary: Among the 17 Ultimates, the protagonist Prairie Marble has no memories of her past, nor is she able to retain any memories from flashback lights. Something about her is just too odd to ignore, even for an Ultimate, and Monokuma wants to get to the bottom of it. Is escape possible? Or will despair conquer? (Juicedup14's translation used for canon dialogue)
1. 1:1 - In the Beginning

_**1.1- In the Beginning**_

When I open my eyes, I'm encapsulated by the sensation of listlessness. Everything feels like it's spinning, but I can't see anything except darkness. Confused and wondering if I've closed my eyes again and just haven't noticed, I blink several times- only for nothing to change.

The uncanny disconnect and discrepancy in my vision wakes me up enough to panic and flinch- hard enough that I bang the back of my head against the confines of narrow metallic walls all around me with a yelp.

 _What? Where am I? What's going on?_ I think, pressing my hands on the walls around me and turning a little. There's hardly any room around to move, but...

I feel my way around until I turn myself towards the space where I don't feel a fourth wall, taking a wobbly step forward until my hands find a metal wall that creaks under my reaching palms.

The material of the metal wall under my hands is somewhat flimsy in comparison to the other three walls, so I suspect it is a door, but besides that...all this metal isn't all that cold. Maybe due to exposure to my body heat? If that's the case though, how long have I been inside here?

Now knowing that I might have a way out, I push as hard as I can manage through the anxiety I'm still experiencing- though I'm doing my best to make sure panic doesn't overrule my judgement. Surprisingly, the wall gives away much easier than I expect it to. As the metal door flies open under my weight, I feel my arm slash on something to my left, mostly cutting into my upper bicep close to my shoulder.

Startled by both my sudden fall and the sharp flash of pain from out of nowhere, I let out a cry and grab at my shoulder with my good hand. Just the bright light stinging my retinas is enough to completely wake me up, but it seems fate simply has no sympathy to offer me mercy since I land on my elbows and knees hard enough to feel it rattle my bones.

At first I curl up and rub my throbbing arm as water pricks at the corners of my eyes, but I eventually manage to force myself up on my unsteady feet with a grimace.

 _Ugh, there's a lot of blood on my hand..._ I think, extending my arm and turning my head to examine the gash on my bicep. It's pretty deep, but I guess I'll live. A quick wipe of the blood on the underside of my red uniform skirt cleans my hand somewhat.

I smile to myself in mild satisfaction- better to look on the brighter side of things right? I may not know what's going on, but I'm at least still in one piece.

While I'm looking down at my school uniform I've got on, I eventually come to feel a sensitive and uncomfortable feeling at my neck, making me reach up and frown when I feel a thick velvety band of a choker hanging around my neck. There's a weird pendant on it, one that easily comes off when I pull on it and makes me raise an eyebrow of confusion when I see it's some kind of foil that had been attached to my choker.

At first glance, the shape of what's in the foil reminds me of those after-dinner mints they give you at restaurants when you dine in. When I unwrap the foil, I snort in amusement at the sight of a small brown cube that falls out. Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?

...

Despite my nerves trying to ebb me towards the side of caution and the fact that I'm still somewhat debating the authenticity of this odd thing that just so happened to be hanging around my neck, I pop it into my mouth.

Almost immediately, a small smile curls over my features, relishing in the wonderful flavor as the chocolate and mint melts across my tongue.

It's in that moment that I'm enjoying the decadent treat that someone suddenly slams into me from behind, so hard that I swallow down the entire chocolate and nearly my own tongue in the process.

I let out a muffled shriek of disapproval and fear, though sound barely escapes me due to the weight of this other person on top of me as my jaw is pressed into the bend of my good arm.

 _Who is it? They're so heavy, why aren't they getting off of me yet?! They feel like a dead weight... Is it a dead body?!_ I panic, feeling my heart pick up speed. I almost feel lucky I can't see who it is, save for an arm that appears to have a brown knit sweater and a white flannel underneath rolled up just beneath their elbows.

The hand and arm is notably, however, masculine looking in comparison to my small hand pressed against the ground as I try to pull myself out from under them. During this, my heart skips a beat when I hear a groan right beside my ear, a warm breath sending chills of horror straight down my spine.

"Ugh... What...?"

 _A deep voice. It **is** a guy. But why is he on top of me?!_

I continue my struggle, but it's obvious whoever's collapsed onto me is not totally conscious enough to realize what's going on yet. I can't even lift up my head to say anything. Well, I can move my legs I guess, so...!

I let out a muffled whine of distress and kick my legs back in an attempt to get his attention, hoping this is just a misunderstanding and _not_ intentional on the guy's part. He could be drunk...! He could be a total pervert doing this inebriated!

 _Now that I think about it... What_ _ **will**_ _I do if this is an attack of "that" sort?_

I kick more and whine louder, squirming enough that I feel the weight of the guy shift slightly on me, causing my ribs to dig into the grass and tile beneath me. I want to scream at him to get off me, but I still can't get any coherent words out.

"Huh...? ...Wait-!"

As suddenly as his weight had crashed on top of me, it vanishes in equal time when he seems to come to, taking my forearm in his grip and helping me on my feet again. My dark brown-black hair is all over my face, so I rip my arm out of the jerk's grip and swat it out of my way to come face to face with...

A guy.

I mean, yeah, no surprise- his voice gave it away already, but...it isn't until this exact moment that I realize a boy means a _boy._ Which I myself am not.

This guy is tall and painfully handsome, chasing away any creative but clean insults I'd been brewing in my mind to throw his way for falling on top of me in such a manner. His hair is green and wavy in a way that it frames his features, one longer strand hanging to his lower jaw at the left. He's got a jaw for days, not to mention, and he's pretty tall from where I stand. Next to me, he's a total tower in comparison.

Besides the mess that is his extremely attractive face, my tongue goes dry and I snap my mouth shut when I realize I've been gaping at his face a bit too long.

"I'm sorry, are you okay? That must not have been very comfortable..." The green haired walking heartthrob says with an awkward yet apologetic smile, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. His voice is a soothing deep tone, exuding a strangely relaxed disposition that stands out as odd considering the current situation. He must not be entirely "there" yet...

...

"Uh, do you need to sit down? Your face is a bit flushed," he says when I say nothing, causing me to blink and jump out of my thoughts into the present.

"My face is all comfortable!" I respond in my haste of anxiety to say something so he doesn't think I've lost _my_ marbles like he obviously has. As soon as it passes my lips though, my stomach plummets at the expression of confusion that forms across his features. I garble in panic, thoughts and feelings in the form of incomprehensible gibberish pouring from my mouth until the guy's eyes eventually settle on my left bicep.

"Oh, you're hurt," he cuts me off, gently taking my forearm and pulling me towards him so he can move it where the gash is more visible. After eyeing it with a frown, he releases me and doesn't even blink when he pulls at his sweater's sleeve until the entire thing tears off at the seams where it's connected to the rest of his sweater. Startled by the display, I squeak a little and start turning my head in all directions to find any potential escape routes.

At that moment, I feel my panic take the backseat of my mind, surprise and confusion replacing it.

 _We're... In a classroom? But what's with all of this overgrowth of plants everywhere? There's grass between the tiles, desks neatly lined up for an entire class that's not present... This place looks abandoned. On top of that, what's with the barbed wires in front of all the windows?!_

I search for some kind of answer in my mind, but... Nothing comes up.

A sharp sting at my arm makes me jump and yelp, reminding me of the guy that has my arm hostage.

"Sorry, just tightening it so it doesn't bring anymore bacteria in. We can try and clean it later at a water source," he responds, making me blink in honest surprise when I see his work.

He doesn't even know me, but was kind enough to go as far as to dress my injury... He doesn't feel responsible for it, does he?

"I hope this makes up for falling on you like that. I mean, it was my fault after all," he sheepishly adds in that almost easy going tone of embarrassment.

I shake my head before even preparing anything to say this time, my concern taking precedence over my social anxiety with boys.

"No, no! That wasn't because of you... I slashed my arm before when I fell out!" I explain, noting his mild surprise. When his inquisitive gaze becomes too much, I avert my gaze from his face quickly. "I-I'm not good talking to boys..."

For extra measure, as I can feel his gaze glued to my face, I cover my face with my fluffy locks.

"I'm sorry...!" My voice has gotten smaller with every word I've uttered, until I hear the guy let out a chuckle.

"How about you just pretend I'm a girl then? That might make it easier," he suggests in obvious amusement, causing me to frown.

"Your voice is too deep and you don't look anything like a girl..." I point out, just as he makes a small ingenuine huff.

"That offends my femininity." Despite the fact that he hasn't done anything, like change the pitch of his voice to be feminine or anything, I can't help but giggle a little at his matter-of-fact statement. "Anyways, do you know where we are or what this place is? Because I don't."

I peek out from my hair before letting it all drop so my face is visible again, giving the classroom another quick once over.

"I don't either... This place looks abandoned," I answer, before looking back to find where I'd been prior to being turned into a human pancake. A pair of somewhat deep lockers side by side makes me frown in thought. "Why were we shoved inside lockers though?"

"Hmm..." the guy hums to himself before turning towards me again. Caught off guard with his eyes on me once more, my body tenses up like a deer caught in headlights. "So do you have a name?"

My eyes break away and I look at the floor as if it's the most interesting thing I've ever seen.

"I-I'm Prairie Marble," I surprisingly answer with no more than a slight stutter, hearing the guy sigh good naturedly.

"Prairie, huh? That's a pretty name... Not common where I'm from though. My name is Rantaro Amami," he states, ever so patient with me and my anxiety. "It's nice to meet you, but less nice to completely crush you like I did. Sorry about that again."

A small noise escapes me in my attempts to stop myself from laughing, much to my embarrassment. When I grab my hair and cover my heating up face, I hear Rantaro laugh on his end.

"I heard that," he says with a friendly tone that manages to lower my walls enough so I drop my hair from my face to smile back at him.

We look around again until our eyes eventually both settle on the door leading out of the classroom. The clock hanging over the dirty chalkboard is filled with weeds and clovers inside the plastic cover, the time stuck on 4:30. It doesn't look like it's kept track of time in ages, however. Obviously, the only way to get more answers is to leave the room through the only door there is.

It's a good thing Rantaro is so calm and collected. I sort of feel less anxious about the situation with him here...since I'm still trying to mentally ease my nerves over the fact that he's a guy and I'm a girl.

 _Stupid teenage hormones, calm down, please please for the love of god, shut up and just deal with it...!_

"Well, we can't do anything about your arm in here. I think we ought to try finding a bathroom. They might have running water we can use to clean it off," Rantaro suggests, gently taking my hand and pulling me along towards the exit.

My mouth snaps shut tightly. Why is he holding my hand? ...Well, I guess it's probably just a gesture to comfort me, so I'm not gonna complain about it. Besides, he's been nice to me since I woke up... And I sort of like it.

I bite my lip hard to keep a stupid smile from forming on my face, even reaching up with my free hand to hide the twitch of my lips.

Just before Rantaro can reach for the doorknob, the heavy sound of moving metal on the other side suddenly catches us off guard, causing the two of us to freeze before opening the door. Disturbed by the sound, we share looks of confusion before I decidedly reach out to at least open the door a crack for us to peek outside.

I doubt either of us expect what we see in the school hallway.

Patrolling outside, in an equally overgrown plant infested hallway, is a giant mecha-like contraption maybe four times our size, displaying lethal functions like a barbed drill and a strange long cord that seems to act like a tail. Needless to say, it's something that looks like it walked out of a science fiction film set in the far future.

Rantaro pokes my good shoulder from where he's hovering behind me to see outside from over my much shorter position, pointing to direct my attention across the hall where we can see a pair of bathrooms for boys and girls. It's a bit far, but...we might have a chance if we make a break for it when the machine isn't facing us.

I feel Rantaro grip my hand a bit tighter as we wait patiently for the mecha to come back up the hall. The moment it turns and passes our door, Rantaro and I hastily run out and across the hallway quietly, watching the mecha cautiously as we open the bathroom door and slip in without the door clicking behind us too loudly.

"Phew..." Rantaro sighs in relief, pulling me towards the sinks and patting the counter beside one. "Okay, now sit up here so I can fix you up properly."

Despite my uneasiness now that I know there's a metal behemoth outside patrolling the halls, I do as he asks and pull myself up on the counter where he's gestured, grimacing through the process. While he cleans the cut with water and surprisingly clean stocked paper towels, I allow the last of my anxiety around Rantaro to drift away. Being around him still makes me a bit antsy, but...I think I'll be able to speak without totally tripping over my words now.

"Thank you for being so nice even though you don't know me," I gather the bravery to say, while Rantaro looks up from my gash to offer me a friendly smile. After a second, it becomes too much and I look away nervously.

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind," he answers, pausing before adding, "You sort of remind me of my sister. She's bad at talking to other people too- especially boys. In a way... Your presence is sort of therapeutic for me."

Surprised by this admission, a genuine smile appears on my face. So he's the big brother type then? Well, I guess that answers the hand holding bit from before! He's handsome _and_ pure hearted!

"I'm glad I can be helpful to you too then," I comment, watching him redress the gash and smiling when he helps me off the counter. "So... What should we do now?"

Rantaro momentarily looks towards the door, scratching his head in thought. Whatever he's considering must not be the greatest of ideas since he has this serious and uneasy expression on his face, but I doubt we have many options at this point.

 _I have a feeling we're going to have to probably make a run for it..._ I think to myself, prompting me to bend down and tighten the shoelaces of my red sneakers a bit. My green haired companion is smiling at me when I stand up again and look at him for directions.

"You may be shy, but you're very perceptive. You'll be able to keep up, right?" He inquires, making me nod earnestly. "I don't know where we can go, but we ought to see if we can find some way out of here. Whatever reason we were shoved in lockers for, it can't be good."

I nod in agreement, the two of us walking to the bathroom exit. Rantaro places one hand on the doorknob and then takes my right hand with the other, glancing back towards me.

"One..." He starts, immediately causing my muscles to tense in preparation for the run. I can do this, right? I don't actually know how fast I am, why did I say I could keep up...? "Two..."

 _...I really hope I can keep up._

"...Go!"

He opens the door and we waste no time taking a right in the hall when we see the red accented mecha head towards the left, oblivious to our presence once again as we run down the hall and round a corner towards the left. With the amount of grass and plants growing through the tiles, I'm surprised neither of us stumble as we run and take a left into a different hall.

We try a few doors on our way before giving up and continuing down the hall in a power walk. So far I'm keeping up well enough at least...

We round another corner to take a left and stop dead in our tracks as we come face to face with another mecha, this one pink accented rather than red.

"Th-there's more than one?" I gape, taking a step back with Rantaro as his jaw tightens.

 _"Ooo! There's a pair here! And finally a girl too! III'm gonna getcha~!"_ A feminine voice echoes from the mecha in front of us as if going through a megaphone. So they're being piloted then...?

Unlike how I'm somewhat stunned, Rantaro wastes no more time spinning around and pulling me along to the other side of the hall as the mecha suddenly picks up speed to chase us. The metal scraping against rocks and tile as it pursues us is terrifying enough to keep me running, quite easily matching Rantaro's long-legged run despite how much taller he is.

My breath hitches when we pass another hall with a green accented mecha approaching, the two of us blazing straight past it until we reach a corner leading to two large double doors. Either this will be a dead end, or we'll be lucky and pass through it. They can't possibly chase us once we get past the doors right? They'd never fit

 _"If" we get past the doors,_ my subconscious is pessimistic enough to remind me.

I swallow nervously as we near the doors and, as if having the same idea, Rantaro and I slam ourselves into it in case it's difficult to open- only to easily tumble in together with equally surprised shouts of annoyance.

"I didn't think the door would swing open that easily..." Rantaro groans breathlessly as he stands up, me pulling myself up onto my feet and quickly dusting my uniform off from the grass and dust that has gotten caught on my clothing.

"Ah, new people. And our first lady too... _Kehehehe!"_

A shiver rattles straight up my spine, prompting me to dart closer towards Rantaro's side as we turn to see...

"Hey, were you two chased down by those crazy mechas too?! Jeez, what do they even want from us?" Another boy, different from the previous speaker, complains with an expression of irritation as he crosses his arms. He's got short, dark violet hair- quite nearly black by the looks of it. A couple of the locks seem to flare out, though it still frames his innocent-looking boyish face. He's not as tall as the other boys, probably only slightly taller than myself.

"You two are okay though, right? You aren't hurt or anything?" This comes from another guy, one with white spiked hair under a hat and a high collared trench coat that obscures most of his face save for two sharp blue eyes that shine with honest concern.

"We're fine, just a little spooked after that. Right, Prai...?" Rantaro trails off when I relocate behind him, clutching his one-sleeved sweater while the other strange boys gather around us. "Ah, sorry, she's shy. Try not to crowd her."

"Hello! Me Gonta! Gonta Gokuhara! Very nice meet you both!" Speaks the tallest of the people in the room- a guy that actually looks like a full grown man. I mean, I guess Rantaro is sorta mature looking too, but... This Gonta guy is a literal _mountain!_

"It's nice to meet you too, Gonta," Rantaro doesn't miss a beat answering, offering the much larger guy a grin of ease.

There's an intense feeling inside me that wants to ask Gonta why he talks in such a strange manner, but I do well to hold my tongue. He must be foreign and still learning the language...

"I'm Kokichi Oma! By the way, does anyone else wanna go out there again to see what happens if we poke one of those mechas with a stick? I mean, people _have_ to be piloting them, right? There's no way those are just remote controlled!" The purple haired guy suggests, prompting all eyes to fall on him with varying levels of disbelief. At this reaction, he shrugs and turns to start walking to the double doors on his own, only barely stopped by Gonta grabbing his arm to tug him back.

"G-Gonta cannot let Kokichi go into danger! Not good idea!" Gonta exclaims, causing Kokichi to snicker mischievously as if he wasn't intending on going out in the first place.

"I'm Kiibo. I had the misfortune of waking up with _that_ guy..." The white haired guy says almost solemnly, causing Rantaro and I to turn towards him. "No last name, if that's what you're wondering. I've only ever had the name Kiibo."

"And I am Korekiyo Shinguji. You may refer to me as 'Kiyo' if my name is too much of a mouthful," the fourth stranger, and the last of them, says in an eerie yet soothing controlled tone, like someone otherworldly but friendly. This was the guy with the creepy laugh...!

My expression must be like an open book, because Korekiyo cackles when he lets his gaze drift my way, causing me to cling to Rantaro more and shiver uneasily.

 _That's the laugh! Creepy!_ I think, still clinging to Rantaro like a lifeline.

"It's nice to meet you guys. I'm Rantaro Amami and this is Prairie Marble. She has a bit of trouble with guys, so please be nice to her," Rantaro introduces us, reaching back to unknot my fingers from his sweater so he can maneuver me to stand in front of him. Half of me is annoyed that he's gone and mentioned my problem with boys so directly. Doesn't he know how embarrassing that sounds? Rantaro must suspect I'll bolt back behind him the first chance I get, since he rests both his hands on my shoulders to keep me in place.

"Say hi," Rantaro attempts to coax me, prompting me look up at him dubiously before glancing at the other boys. Four pairs of eyes stare back at me, making my stomach twist uncomfortably and my brain to go blank.

At that point, I can only manage to yank my hair over my face as it reddens, hiding pitifully as I barely utter a weak, _"I'm sorry...!"_

"So small and cute! Gonta surprised!" Gonta admits boldly, while Rantaro hums in understanding and gently massages my shoulders from behind.

"You know, she doesn't seem to be having too much trouble with _you,_ and you're a guy!" Kokichi points out to Rantaro, taking a few strides forward in a march to stand right in front of me. "Hey, hey! You'd have _waaay_ more fun if you latched on to me instead of him!"

I back up into Rantaro more and then scramble to remove his hands from my shoulders, scurrying back behind him as soon as his grip on my shoulders loosens. The green haired heartthrob chuckles a little, before he seems to give up on trying to help me overcome my nerves.

"If it helps... Technically I'm not of the male gender," Kiibo speaks up.

A collective shift in everyone's expression occurs after processing Kiibo's strange words, all of us ebbing towards confusion until the gym doors are thrown open suddenly. Any further inquiries on Kiibo's statement drift away from our minds as we turn towards the double doors.

 _"Eeek!"_ A small red haired girl shrieks as she races into the safe enclosure of the gym, quickly followed by a girl with long strangely tied pigtail links and a third girl with tan skin and two lazy tied twin tails that reach her chest.

"Wow! We barely escaped by the skin of our teeth! Nyahahaha~!" The tan girl chirps in such an upbeat manner it's almost creepy. Probably more so than Korekiyo's infamous cackles...

"Th-that's okay! The point is that we got away and we're in one piece!" The pale-brown haired girl with her strange pigtail links declares, a fist raised up in victory.

"Nyeeh... I think that run is enough exercise to last for the rest of the year. I never want to move that much again," the short red haired girl states, taking deep breaths with the other girls now that their run is over.

 _...It's nice to see other girls, but... These ones are kinda weird. I'll just stay with Rantaro. He's safe,_ I decide, pretending not to notice Rantaro when he looks back at me. He's probably checking to see if I want to leave and join them.

"Not interested in saying hi?" He asks in obvious amusement, despite my efforts to show a dismissal attitude. "Or would you rather stick with me?"

 _Aaa, is he really going to make me say it? It's so embarrassing...! Maybe I might be better off with the girls even though they're peculiar. That, or maybe I should just grin and bear the embarrassment of telling Rantaro I want to stay with him._

"Hey, look! Degenerate males!" The girl with pigtail links suddenly blurts out much to the surprise of me, Gonta, and Korekiyo. Kokichi just snorts loudly in amusement, followed closely by a sigh of resignation from Kiibo.

As if to answer Rantaro, I give him a dry look and watch as a smile curls at his lips in response. 'Cause _yeah_ _right_ I'm gonna go join those girls- they're weird!

 _Then again, we do have Korekiyo, Kokichi, and Kiibo on our end..._ I realize as I look back at the girls.

"Ooo, are you the people that trapped us here? Or are we all trapped together? How interesting!" The happy-go lucky girl with white hair grins, hands clasped together in front of her.

"Hmm... This is all getting rather repetitive. I think we should hold off on introductions for now, yes? It'd be best if we wait and see just how many more people will make an appearance," Korekiyo suggests, fixing his face mask a bit. I wonder why he's wearing that... Is he sick or something? Is he sensitive to dust or pollen in the air?

"I agree, let's just relax and wait. I mean, it's not like we can do anything else. We're pretty much at the mercy of whoever's running the show," Rantaro calmly observes, much to my dismay.

 _At the mercy of them, huh? But how did we even get here? How did we go from point "A" to "shoved inside lockers"?_

...

 _Actually, on that note, what even was point "A"? I can't remember what I was doing before..._

I let go of Rantaro's sweater, lost in thought. I know my name is Prairie Marble- that much is solid fact I can confirm in my head one hundred percent.

 _What else?_ I prompt myself.

...

There is nothing else. After those guys threw me in that van, I-

 _Wait!_ I realize, touching my forehead and turning away from everyone else.

That thought just now... I _was_ thrown in a van. I can't remember what I was doing or where I was when it happened, but some people in a van grabbed me while I was outdoors.

 _I should say something to the others, what if it happened to them too? Maybe one of them might know who they were._

I look up and turn around to mention it, but shrink back from the group and think twice when I realize most of the other teens are talking among themselves in little groups- probably speculating about the situation for the most part. Rantaro is much further from me now, speaking about something with Korekiyo and Kiibo while I stand off towards the side.

 _Should_ I mention it? What if they already know and remember that? What if bringing it up is stupid and useless? ...But then again, what if they _don't_ know?

...I ought to say something...right?

 _ **End of 1.1 - In the Beginning**_


	2. 1:2 - Ctrl Z!

**_1.2 - Ctrl+Z!_**

"Hey, Prairie Dog, what are you thinking so hard about that it's making you do an ugly face like that?"

I jerk back from Kokichi in surprise as he materializes right next to me, but I school my tense muscles so I don't immediately scurry off towards Rantaro like I normally would. I stutter a little, before slapping both hands over my mouth to try and start over so I can speak like a normal person.

Since it takes me a bit of time to cohesively prepare my words, Kokichi just crosses his arms and watches me with an amused hum. I can practically feel him thinking about ways to make fun of me...

"Uh..." I start, fiddling with my pearl white tie that contrasts my maroon red uniform, feeling the weight of his gaze practically tear at my nerves bit by bit. "S-so..."

 _"..._ _Sooo_ _...?"_ Kokichi annoyingly mimics me playfully, stepping closer. At that, I take a considerate step back to let him know exactly where my boundaries are. When he smiles wider and takes another step forward, I get the gist he's telling me I have none and I shoot him a look.

"...Were you shoved in the back of a van like me before you woke up?" I ask out loud, my voice much less meek than it had come out thus far and a bit sharper as a result of Kokichi's behavior.

Kokichi's smile drops suddenly, morphing into a flat expression that I can't identify at all.

"Wait, Small Prairie? What you say? People...shove you in back of van?" Gonta pipes up from behind me, prompting me to turn away from Kokichi to nod at him.

It isn't until Gonta has spoken that the rest of the gym falls silent, processing his words at my statement. Rantaro walks back over to me with Kiibo and Korekiyo, the three other girls also joining Kokichi, Gonta and I.

"Oh! Gonta remember being tied with net! They drag Gonta into back of white van with strange picture. Something about 'Dango'...?" Gonta agrees with me, while I quickly scan my memories and... Right, I saw a logo on the van when I was trying to kick them off from dragging me in.

"'Dangan...ronpa'?" I repeat as the logo becomes a bit clearer in my mind.

"...Oh!" The other girl, the one as short as me with red hair, jumps as if remembering as well. "I remember! It _did_ say 'Danganronpa'! I read it on the side of the van too, they caught me while I was walking to the ice cream shop!"

"Hey, I remember they grabbed me while I was out grocery shopping, but that logo sounds familiar to me too!" The girl with weird pigtails chimes in as well.

"So all of us were kidnapped in the same manner by the same kind of van with the same logo? Hm... Curious," Korekiyo comments mysteriously, a hand pressed to his chin. "I'm glad you managed to recall the name on the van, I never saw it clearly when they got me. Wonderfully done, Prairie."

Even though he's a bit creepy and a guy, I can't help but feel just a little proud when he rubs the top of my head gently, prompting a smile from me.

"That just leaves the question of, what _is_ Danganronpa?" Kiibo queries, causing the lot of us to share looks with one another to see if someone has the answer. Now that's something even I can't remember for the life of me. For arguments sake, I can't even remember ever hearing it before the memory surfaced in my mind.

There's a long silence as we all ponder the conundrum, but it's eventually broken when Kokichi comments, "Uh, okay. I get how they can throw the rest of us in a van and stuff, but they managed to nab a guy like _Gonta_ _?_ That's too fishy for me!" He walks forward so he's next to me and looking right at Gonta with a studious leer. "Say, you're not secretly part of this 'Do-dango-mango' gang that's kidnapped us all, are you? Speak now or forever hold your peace!"

Gonta actually jumps a little at Kokichi's accusations, shaking his head vehemently as his face falls.

"No, no! Not nice to trap people in school! Gonta would _never!_ Gonta honestly captured too! Big net and blanket make very hard to see and then Gonta wake up inside a locker next to Kiyo!" He insists while I catch Rantaro frowning in Kokichi's direction.

Standing next to the target of Rantaro's glare prompts me to shift away from Kokichi a bit, but he seems to notice and looks my way to grin and shift to regain the space. I don't blame Rantaro for disliking Kokichi, the guy isn't even batting an eye at the situation. Doesn't he care that we're stuck with those giant mechanical killing machines?

"For someone not taking this seriously at all, you've got some nerve throwing accusations around. _That's_ pretty suspicious, if I do say so myself," Korekiyo makes a point to reprimand the violet haired boy, who looks away from me to train his purple orbs on the long haired male with the mask over his lower jaw.

Before Kokichi can make a smart-mouthed retort, Rantaro cuts in.

"Okay, how about we _don't_ start blindly bickering and throwing accusations at one another. We're all trapped here at the moment together, whether we like it or not. The least we can all do is get along until we find a way out of this mess. If you're somehow unable to control yourself from behaving immaturely, then stay quiet. Simple as that," Rantaro explains, causing everyone in the gym to nod in agreement.

You know, save for Kokichi, who simply sighs dramatically and turns to face me as everyone else breaks away into groups again- Rantaro giving me a concerned glance when he notices Kokichi directing his attention to me. I just wave him off, giving him what I hope is a somewhat confident smile to abate his worries.

"I guess you're not as boring as I thought you'd be," Kokichi comments with a smile, one admittedly more charming that his usual Cheshire cat grins. Actually, looking at him now, I'm secretly horrified to realize just how cute of a face he has, ranging on the high handsome boyish levels rather than the high handsome pretty-boy levels Rantaro's face unfortunately sports.

...Thinking more, Korekiyo and Gonta aren't half bad themselves. They're different, but they're pretty handsome themselves. Kiibo is up for question, only because he's been hiding his face since the beginning and because of that earlier thing of him mentioning he's technically not a "boy", whatever that means.

 _Why am I surrounded by attractive boys?_ I wonder in dismay, feeling my cheeks dust red as I look away from Kokichi to gather my bearings. I can't make eye contact with him now that I've noticed- I'll never unsee his good looks now...!

"I-I don't know what you want from me, but...you're wrong 'cause I'm _painfully_ boring," I correct him, finally forcing myself to meet his gaze as he watches me struggle to speak to him. "You'd fall asleep around me."

Kokichi balances on his heels and responds, "I'm not falling asleep. So you're the one that's wrong. Besides...!" He steps even closer and grins when I scramble backwards to regain some space, only to be followed by Kokichi. Eventually, we continue this to the point we're further away from the other teens, and I curse my nerves for allowing Kokichi to play with them so easily. "The way you get so nervous around boys is _super_ funny! Hey, stop walking. I won't do anything, I just wanna hold your hand~! Pleeeaaase?"

"I don't want to hold your hand- I don't want to be anywhere near you...!" I complain meekly. "Y-you're mean and weird!"

"Aw, _that's_ a mean thing to say..." Kokichi stops advancing immediately, and I freeze when I see this utterly crushed looking expression on his face, followed by a pout as he hangs his shoulders and head in a solemn manner. "Alright, I won't bug you anymore..."

He actually sniffles as he turns away, making my chest ache with sudden guilt at the idea that I might have really hurt his feelings. After all, I don't know why he behaves the way he does- maybe I hit a sensitive nerve by calling him weird. It's just hand holding, I guess, it's not _that_ bad...

In my haste to make him feel better, I step towards him as he moves to leave, boldly taking his hand in mine to see if it makes him happy again.

 _"Ah!_ Glad you decided to see it my way!" Kokichi whirls around with my hand in his and tugs me close to him, any signs of his previous disappointment and emotional hurt having been completely wiped away. One might even say he wasn't actually sad to begin with...and that it was just an act all along.

When he wraps an arm around my waist to hug me to him, I yelp in horror, feeling my face turn bright red before I push away from him and unhook his arm from around me. Kokichi just laughs at my response, holding his stomach as he tries to stay upright.

 _Oh, so I'm just the butt of his joke then, huh? He thinks it's funny I get easily flustered around guys? Well...!_ I think, frowning at him and letting my eyes flick around the gym where the others are. No one is looking our way- even Rantaro is busy talking to the others.

I'm still close enough to Kokichi, so with my mind made up on vengeance, I lift up a foot and stomp it down as hard as I can on one of Kokichi's feet shamelessly. His laugh cuts off abruptly and I watch as the first chill of pain visibly runs up his body when my heel crushes his toes through his shoes.

It. Feels. _Great._

I already know this action isn't without repercussions and panic when Kokichi lets out a loud profane curse at the pain, scurrying to the others and making a beeline to hide behind Rantaro. Kokichi hops around on his good foot and babies his toes a little before racing over towards the rest of us.

"Oh, you _brat!"_ Kokichi snaps, his expression that of something more demonic than boyish and cute like before. I yelp at the sight, ducking further behind Rantaro as he shifts the two of us back from the visibly agitated Kokichi.

Before he can take any steps closer towards us, Kiyo, Gonta, and the girl with the weird pigtail chains steps in his path, prompting Kokichi to come to a stop.

"How appalling, trying to pick on a girl. What in the world has gotten into you? You weren't behaving at all like this earlier," Korekiyo speaks up, standing his ground.

 _"Me?_ She stomped on my foot! I'M the one getting picked on here, get with the program! She's guilty!" Kokichi argues, pointing straight at me. All eyes follow his finger towards me, prompting my stomach to swirl anxiously not only in shame at my childish behavior, but because of all the eyes on me. I shrink back from everyone's gaze automatically.

Just when I think it's all over for me and I'm about to suffer a social death...

"Um, Gonta no can see small Prairie doing that," Gonta speaks up, with the pig-tailed girl nodding eagerly at his side.

"Nyeeh, yeah, she's too timid looking to be the kind of person that does that..." The red haired girl pipes up in a slow voice, casting me a look from where I'm hiding behind Rantaro.

"Yeah! She's too small, cute, and shy to antagonize somebody! Look at her, she wouldn't harm a fly!" The pig-tailed girl agrees, turning to give me a friendly smile despite me using Rantaro as a shield.

"Tell that to my throbbing foot! The foot she outright _assaulted!_ You can't seriously be falling for that _Bambi_ face, she's lying! I should know! I know my kind!" Kokichi exclaims heatedly, stomping his bad foot and wincing at the slight pain the action brings him.

"Oh, so you _are_ a liar," Kiibo comments off-handedly, blue eyes narrowed on Kokichi from under his hat and jacket collar. "So how are we to know you aren't lying right now? After all, Prairie hasn't given us any reason to doubt her. _You_ on the other hand..."

"Nyahahaha~! Besides, didn't I see you bothering her in the first place? Maybe you _deserved_ it!" The white haired girl with pigtails points out as cheery as ever, a dark shadow curling over her smiling face as a result of her last accusation.

Kokichi makes a noise of annoyance, growling things quietly under his breath and shooting me one last glare. I feel Rantaro's arm drape over my shoulder, directing my attention up to him.

"Don't worry about him," Rantaro reassures me with an easy going smile, even turning us so we face away from Kokichi and walk towards the other end of the gym. "...Next time, just walk away, Prairie. Stomping on people's feet is hardly the reaction someone our age should be resorting to," he adds in a low murmur, prompting my eyes to widen a fraction as I resist a squeak of shame. Rantaro saw right through me...?!

"I-I-!" I start to fish for some kind of excuse, until he glances my way again with his piercing gaze. The moment his reprimanding green eyes meet my blue orbs, my resistance completely falls apart and I crumble under the pressure. "...I'm sorry...!"

Rantaro stops us and chuckles when I grab my hair and cover my face up to hide my shame. "I'd normally suggest you go back and make an apology, but...something tells me that Kokichi is more the type that gets even rather than accepts apologies, so stay close to me," he suggests, making me uncover my face a little to smile thankfully despite feeling I don't deserve it.

I can still feel Kokichi's glare laser into the back of my head, but soon my attention is completely focused on something else I only then notice- that being Rantaro's arm still hanging over my shoulders. I want to remove it, but at the same time I don't want to. The attention is both nice and a bit nerve wracking, but I also don't want to offend him by removing it myself either. What if he thinks I think he's some kind of perverted fiend? Especially after what we've been through already!

Thankfully, Rantaro removes his arm from my shoulders just by chance, prompting me to blow out a small breath of relief that's nearly imperceptible.

I flinch suddenly in surprise as the doors to the gym are thrown open, two more girls storming in on quick feel like everyone else had with the mechas that chased us. Quickly proceeding after the girl with red eyes and the olive green haired girl beside her is a short guy with pink cheeks and a pair of sharp round eyes that narrow on everyone in the room he enters.

It's when I notice the new trio's eyes turning towards Rantaro and I that I end up half hiding behind Rantaro again sheepishly, feeling my cheeks turn red when he fishes me out from behind him so he can maneuver me towards a wall of the gym with him.

Once we reach the mossy vine covered wall, Rantaro takes a seat, patting the spot on the ground beside him until I follow suit and sit down as well. Both of us then quietly observe as the most recent arrivals are given a brief rundown of things so they aren't so confused.

 _Those three make it twelve of us so far..._ I think, before looking down at my skirt and smoothing it out so I'm not accidentally showing too much of myself off.

"How many people do you think will show up?" I find myself asking Rantaro, half surprised I'm comfortable enough to have blurted out the question unplanned like that.

Rantaro crosses his arms as he glances at everyone in the gym with a thoughtful hum. His eyebrows are furrowed, and I almost can't help but stare at him a moment too long. He's... He's so handsome- almost _too_ good looking. Did Rome lose one of their city's statues or something?

"Well..." He begins, snapping me out of my stupor with his deep laid back voice. "I'd say maybe an even sixteen would be reasonable."

"Sixteen...?" I breathe with slight confusion, frowning and look towards the other students. I pucker my lips a little and then direct my attention up towards the ceiling in consideration. Now that I'm looking up though, this gym has a really high ceiling... What is that, twenty meters or something? Sucks to be the guy that has to eventually go up there to change the lights when they finally burn out...

 _I'm getting sidetracked again, stay on topic, Prairie,_ I think to myself. _He said sixteen students, didn't he? An_ even _sixteen? Why is he choosing such a specific number? ...Does he know something the rest of us don't?_

"Yeah. Eight boys and eight girls probably. Not that I have anything to base that thought on though, I'm just making a bit of an educated guess at this point," Rantaro blushes a little, holding up his hands in mild embarrassment.

I want to ask what he's basing that educated guess on specifically, but seeing his sheepishness and doubt almost immediately makes me scold myself for my skepticism in him. He's not Kokichi, he's _Rantaro._ The person that helped wrap my wounded arm and has been nice to me from the very beginning.

"O-or you could be right!" I chirp, making Rantaro smile just a little more when I catch myself talking again before I can think of what else to say. It's obvious I have no sort of reason for why he could be right- _painfully_ obvious- but I still fumble to say at least something that will raise his confidence a little. "I, uh- um... Well... It'd be cool if you actually guessed right..."

In the end, I'm a victim to his gaze and I stutter an apology, yanking my brunette locks over my face as it floods with heat. I feel Rantaro rub the top of my head gently in an attempt to calm me down. Although it feels nice, my body begins to slide down the wall like a noodle until I'm curled up on the floor and totally lightheaded.

"You shouldn't lay entirely on the floor like that, it's dirty," Rantaro says, half chuckling while I try to stop my head from spinning so much.

"I just need a moment, or I'm gonna faint..." I mumble weakly, before feeling Rantaro right me up himself so I'm sitting up properly. He brushes my hair out of my face until he can see the disaster that is my scarlet features, letting out an amused sigh of resignation and keeping an arm around my back to keep me from toppling over.

Once I'm finally released of the shackles of over stimulation from my embarrassment, I can sit up without Rantaro's help- completely avoiding looking at him since I'm so mortified he had to see me in such a pathetic state. I don't think I could manage eye contact after being so weird...!

More time passes in which Rantaro and I relax against the wall (mostly Rantaro, I'm still nervous sitting so close to him), watching the other teens chatting or relaxing along the walls around as well. The gym is actually a bit chilly, but with Rantaro sitting next to me, he's like a human heater. I gladly leech off of his body heat, glad I don't have to say anything awkward like _ask_ him to sit closer.

...

My arm throbs suddenly and I press down on the area of pain, wrinkling my nose at the sudden feeling. I can feel my muscle twitching under my fingers and under the wound- it's been doing that for a little bit, but now the twitches are hard enough to stretch my gash more...

It's at the moment I'm holding my arm that the doors to the gym are thrown open and a girl with long blue hair and glasses stumbles in, nervously looking around at all our faces. The force in which she throws the door open startles me despite the fact I'd come to expect that more people would be arriving, and I reflexively squeeze and pull on my left arm as a result.

I stiffen up as pain blossoms once again at my bicep- this time worse than the pain from my muscle twitches. Rantaro gives me a curious look at my flinch, but I just smile nervously and look away from him. Once his gaze is off of me, I let my eyes flick down to my arm, watching as the color of my blood slowly begins to seep from under the sleeve of my uniform.

 _Oh no,_ I think, biting my lip and clutching my arm in an attempt to staunch the blood flow with pressure. _I don't want to trouble Rantaro again, he's too nice...! What if he gets annoyed with me? Or worse, thinks I'm doing it on purpose to get his attention?! Yeah, it's better if I just stay quiet. I'll just pretend I don't see any-_

"Whoa! What happened to your arm, it's _gushing!_ Who did this to you?! Was it a degenerate male?! Point your finger, sweetheart, I'll beat them up for you until they're unrecognizable!" The girl with those strange chain-link pigtails howls when she sees the mess of my arm, falling hard to her knees beside me. When Rantaro sits up at her words and moves to take my wrist so he can examine my bleeding arm, the girl's head slowly turns towards him in what resembles a weapon locking on to a target.

"I-It wasn't him, don't worry!" I squeak defensively, positioning myself so I'm in front of Rantaro where the girl won't be able to grab at him. "Rantaro's nice, I swear!"

The girl eyes Rantaro after my statement, the green haired teen obviously surprised by my little outburst to defend him. There's a dry look in the girl's eyes, like she could never believe my words, but after the two have a bit of a stare down (mostly one sided on Tenko's end), the girl eventually looks back to me and offers me a lovely smile.

"I'll stand down this time, but don't let your guard down, okay? Remember, all males are degenerates and can't be trusted! Be wary for the nice ones, they're the degenerates that you _really_ need to watch out for!" She exclaims before pointing at herself brightly. "The name's Tenko Chabashira! Feel free to scream if you ever need me!"

"Uh, yeah... O-Okay," I answer, realizing there's no way a girl like Tenko would _ever_ change her mind about boys. Even if the boy happens to be sweet or kind hearted like Gonta or Rantaro. "I'm Prairie Marble and this is-"

"Oh! That's such a pretty name for a pretty girl like you!" Tenko very obviously interrupts me, making it clear she's not concerned about learning Rantaro's name whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Rantaro is working on using that old sleeve of his that was wrapped around my arm to soak up most of the blood that had gushed out, patting my arm from the top to the bottom. As I lift my head to look at him for his verdict on this girl, I can see he's wearing a strange but amused expression on his face. As if he thinks she's one of the more odd ones around.

I don't blame him. She _is_ kind of weird... Not terribly so at least.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then!" Tenko brightly comments, before casting a warning glare towards Rantaro on her way back to the others in the gym. I hear Rantaro muffle a slightly nervous laugh behind me, allowing my nerves to relax after Tenko's departure. Good to know he was able to get away unscathed without her going for his throat...!

"Prairie..."

I wince at his tone, turning to face him and shrinking back slightly as he lets out a sigh of disapproval that only serves to make me shrink back even more.

"If you're bleeding or in trouble, _please_ let me know. Don't worry about me, helping you doesn't bug me or anything. And even if it did, I'd rather you bug me than pass out from blood loss, alright? I'd be more annoyed if you put yourself in a position where you could hurt yourself, even accidentally," Rantaro chastises me. I make a small noise and nod in understanding, despite not planning to keep the promise since I still don't want to burden him.

When Rantaro doesn't look away, staring me down with this look of expectancy that tells me he's not fooled at all, I realize he wants me to say it out loud and frown a little.

"Fine...I'll let you know if I'm in trouble," I mumble reluctantly. Now that I've said it, it almost feels like I'm tied to my word. I don't like it, but it at least makes Rantaro smile. It's then that he doesn't hesitate to rip off his remaining sleeve abruptly out of nowhere, making me jump in surprise.

Looking over his outfit now, I can't help but feel my sour mood spoil with amusement when I giggle at the result of Rantaro's attire.

"Now it's just a vest," I laugh, making Rantaro look down and chuckle in agreement as he ties the ripped sleeve around my sliced bicep.

"Don't worry about that, fashion is the last thing I'm worrying about right now," Rantaro reassures me, causing me to snicker in amusement and immediately respond, "Yeah, but you could wear a garbage bag and still look good since you're so hans-"

Realizing what I'm about to say, I look straight down and shut my mouth- not even giving Rantaro a chance to see my face when I cover it up with all my hair I possibly can. Nope, nope, nope- I'm a disaster of a person! I shouldn't be allowed to socialize with others!

Thankfully, the doors are thrown open again and unlike the last girl that came running in with no little to no sound, the duo that race in come screaming at the top of their lungs in such a comical fashion that the majority of us are left speechless. I even drop my hair to sort of gape at them, watching as the magenta haired guy and this blonde haired girl with a startlingly low bust cut hunch over to catch their breath from all their running.

"Christ! What the hell was that thing?!" The guy shouts, before spinning around to look at the rest of us as we silently stare at them. "Why are you guys just sitting there?! Something just tried to kill us!"

...

"H-Hey! The fuck is with all those looks, didn't you hear him?! We almost got shish-kebabbed by this giant ass fuckin' machine! At least _say_ something!" The girl beside him barks, startling me even more with just how profane her language is. Someone needs to wash her tongue with soap...!

"Uh, maybe we're staring because it's totally old news? Being chased by mechas is _soo_ cliché and out of season now!" Kokichi doesn't hesitate to pipe up, arms folded casually behind his neck in a laid back fashion. "Hey, hey! Was it just the two of you running here, or did anyone happen to _die_ on the way over?"

Most eyes drift over to Kokichi's grinning face this time, exasperation on the collective faces around him at the subject he's decided to entertain.

"Don't even joke about that!" Kiibo complains, despite that Kokichi's words have clearly shaken him- if going by his visibly shivering form. "Have you _really_ no sense of tact?!"

"'Tact'? ...Hm, sorry! That word's not in my vocabulary! Sounds boring anyways... Oh! I have an idea!" Kokichi grins and turns to face the direction of Rantaro and I, a wicked glint in his eyes that makes my spine go straight as a result of his eyes locking with mine. "Heeey, Prairie Dog! Be a good girl and go out there to see if the coast is clear, yeah?"

"N-no way!" I object, shrinking back closer to Rantaro.

"Aw... Well, it was worth a shot~" Kokichi easily forfeits in his efforts, looking down at his nails and picking at them casually.

I feel Rantaro shift to put his arm around my shoulders again, immediately distracting me from Kokichi so I'm persuaded to peer up at him.

 _I'm a lot less cold with his arm is slung over me,_ I dare to notice as I look up at him and try to ignore how close we are. Unwilling to make my discomfort obvious, I force myself not to look away from Rantaro.

"Ignore him. I've got your back, don't worry," Rantaro reassures me. Just when I'm about to grab my hair and pull it over my face, I feel this fiery burning glare on us, prompting me to blink and look back at the crowd.

Kokichi is staring straight at me with an unnerving unreadable expression. If anything, he doesn't even seem concerned I've caught him looking at all, his expression remaining unreadable as our eyes meet again. However...

When I shift my gaze to the other end of the crowd, I'm mildly surprised to see Tenko glaring daggers at Rantaro- likely about the arm he has slung over my shoulders specifically. She doesn't seem to notice I've caught her glaring at him though, so I look down and half cover my face with my hair to hide my red cheeks.

"Oh, jeez..." I mutter under my breath, embarrassed by the attention from both individuals.

"Yeah, it seems we've both managed to attract a bit of negative attention, huh?" Rantaro laughs quietly beside me, appearing both embarrassed and amused by our unique conundrum.

Before I can say anything else, the doors to the gym fly open again, giving leeway for a blonde haired girl with white hair pins and a blue haired boy with a cap on to skid into the gym away from the mechas in the hall.

 ** _"OH NO!"_**

The sound of metal scraping metal makes me look up and scramble out from under Rantaro's warm arm, jumping to my feet with him as we stare at the doorway to the gym with the other teenagers.

Everyone gapes at the machine that is now conveniently stuck halfway inside the gym and halfway outside into the hall, wriggling a little before it slouches in place and the voice from it's speaker lets out a nervous laugh.

 _"Uh... Guys? We may have to start over..."_ The voice in the red accented mecha stuck in the doorway speaks up, while pieces of rubble from the warped doorway drops on the machine with metallic little 'tinks'.

 _"Oh no, Monotaro's been trapped!"_ This comes from a mecha in the hall that sounds like the same one that had chased Rantaro and I. Obviously, I can't see it, but the voice is definitely a familiar female sounding lilt.

 _"Haa, somehow I know this has gotta' be_ ** _Monodam's_** _fault!"_ Another mechanical voice shouts, audibly more rambunctious than the others.

 _"Well, let's just reset then! We're already behind schedule as is, use the light thing, Monodam!"_

 _"..."_

I blink, looking at Rantaro who doesn't look away from the mess at the gym doorway. I can't tell what he's thinking, but he's got this serious frown on his face, hand slipping down to hold mine despite his attention being elsewhere. What's going on?

 _"What? What's the hold up?!"_

 _"YOU! You musta lost a few too many screws gettin' yourself in this mess, huh?!_ ** _You're_** _the one that has the flashlight, damn it!"_

 _"Let's not get so rowdy, this isn't too big of a dent we can't fix. Monotaro, just get on with it."_

 _"Oh! Oh, right! Okay, let's get to it then!"_

The red accented machine stuck in the doorway flips open a metal pane at the front, and from inside... A red and white dual colored bear leaps out, cape billowing behind him as he holds up his _"thing"_ his friends were talking about.

"Aand..." The bear moves to point the device at us in midair, my eyes quickly registering the item as a square shaped object resembling a flashlight. **_"Thanks for bearing with us~!"_**

There's a clicking sound and a flash hits my eyes, causing my world to go a piercing white that swallows me up.

 ** _End of 1.2 - Ctrl+Z!_**


	3. 1:3 - Take Number Two

_**1.3 - Take Number Two**_

I open my eyes, only to blink several times at the darkness on the other side of my eyelids. There's a disconnect from the fact that it looks exactly the sa-

Whatever I'm leaning on suddenly gives away, spilling light sharply enough against my retinas that I groan and close my as I come falling out of the locker.

 _Wait, locker?_ I think, just as a pair of arms catch me by the underside of my arms to keep me from getting familiar with the floor. Everything is spinning, and opening my eyes still hurts.

"Whoa, there..." The deep masculine voice huffs as he helps steady me, prompting me to eventually open my eyes enough to see who it is. As soon as the green locks come into view, I let out a breath of relief. It's just Rantaro...

"Oh, it's just you..." I smile up at him before glancing around and blinking the last of the blurriness out of my vision. It's the same classroom we first woke up in, and I frown at the sight. "Why are we back here? D-did they really shove us back in the lockers again...? I thought they were joking when they said they were going to start over..." I comment, shivering as I become aware of the chill in the room now that I'm out of the locker.

...

Confused by Rantaro's lack of input, I look up at him from where I'm half laying, only to find a peculiar expression on his face that I can't quite identify. I blink and cock my head slightly to the side with a concerned frown.

"...Rantaro? Are you okay? I-Is something wrong...?" I ask timidly, feeling my nerves spike up just the slightest when he doesn't make an attempt to answer. The moment I say his name though, I see his shoulders square slightly. I feel my cheeks start to turn red when he gives me a curious once over, causing my anxiety to sky rocket into oblivion right then and there. I crawl back just a little and jump to my feet, bumping my hip painfully into a desk in my attempt to increase the space between us. "Ow-!"

He's acting just a little too weird for me right now...! What even happened? Did the people that brought us here do something to him?

"...I'm sorry," Rantaro suddenly starts, laughing nervously and running his hand through the back of his hair. I relax only a little as I settle my gaze on him, waiting for him to explain what's going on. "You obviously know me somehow, but...I honestly can't remember seeing you before. My head is sort of jumbled up right now, and... Did you say we were shoved inside lockers before? As in this already happened?"

Playing with my hair and feeling rather anxious under his scrutinizing eye, I manage a quiet nod.

"...What's your name? Maybe it'll ring some bells," Rantaro suggests, smiling that familiar easygoing smile that first greeted me after he patched up my arm.

"Prairie Marble," I say, looking towards my arm and smiling when I see my bicep still patched up from before. Glancing up at him timidly, I find both his sleeves are still missing and hold up my arm as proof of his kindness. "Um... You helped me the first time. When I got hurt and sliced my arm coming out of the locker, you cleaned and patched up the gash."

Rantaro blinks in obvious surprise, looking down at his "vest". He'll surely believe me now when I say I know him then, right? After all, it's not like I could have ripped his sleeves off...

"Oh, I didn't even realize my sleeves were missing," he laughs, before I realize a majority of his earlier peculiarities have completely faded at this point, if not all of it. "Hey, do you mind giving me a bit of a rundown on what happened before?"

And so I tell him everything, even down to the people whose names I could remember from their introductions to me. When I tell him about the bear with the strange flashlight, I notice something akin to familiarity in his eyes- along with an edge of alarm that immediately makes me nervous.

"Hold on... Was this bear black and white? Like it's colors were split in half?" Rantaro inquires from the chair of the desk table I'm sitting on, prompting me to frown and shake my head.

"It was dual colored, but this one was red and white. It was even wearing a cape... And to be honest, I don't think there's only one of them..." I explain, noting the serious look on Rantaro's face as he processes my words and stares at me quietly.

"...How many of us were there in total? Do you remember?"

His shift in tone means business, but even though it's not like he's upset with me or anything, I can't help but feel like I've done something wrong under his piercing gaze. It feels like the look he gave me after I almost tried to play off stomping on Kokichi's foot...!

"S-seventeen of us altogether from what I counted. You yourself speculated that there would probably only be sixteen of us in total though..." I inform him, watching as he closes his eyes and rubs his forehead in thought.

"...Shit."

I squeak a little, making Rantaro snap out of his daze and open his eyes to look at me in surprise. I can't help but blush as I avert my gaze and stutter, "P-profane..."

...

And just like that, Rantaro is laughing, making my face burn bright red before I realize I can't handle the feeling of humiliation. Knowing I have no true escape, unless I want to get chased down by one of those mechas out in the hall, I jump off the table of the desk Rantaro is sitting at and dive back into the locker I'd come out of, closing it shut and leaning back against the wall of the now cool metal to calm my stimulated nerves.

"W-wait! I'm sorry, I promise I wasn't laughing at you," Rantaro catches his breath on the other side of the locker door, making me shake my head and press my hands against my cheeks in embarrassment. "Prairie?"

"Liar," I whimper, before gathering my dark hair over my face to hide my blushing features and block him out of view when he proceeds to open the locker up himself.

I feel him stare at me, waiting for me to give up and come out of the locker. Instead of being mature, I stay exactly where I am until I hear him sigh in amusement. The sigh makes me shrink back into the locker, but then Rantaro steps in with me a little, wiggling in until I feel him...hug me.

If my nerves weren't stimulated before, they sure are now.

"I promise I really am sorry. It was just really unexpected and reminded me of my little sister," Rantaro admits honestly, resting his chin on my head. It's a good thing he can't see my face, since it's practically on fire at this point. I half expect that resting my cheek on the locker wall would melt the metal.

 _He probably doesn't mean for it to seem this way, but... He's sort of being attractive on accident..._ I think, counting to ten in my head and then forcing myself to look up so he gets the idea to move back. Since the door's open, it's not too dark in the locker that I can't make out Rantaro giving me a smile before taking my hands and stepping back out of the locker with me in tow.

"Ready to go then? I'm counting on you to lead the way since you know where to go and I don't," Rantaro says, releasing one of my hands but retaining his hold on the other. "We'll run on the count of three."

...

"One... Two..."

I steel my muscles for the run, ready to lead Rantaro as best as I can. I do know where to go this time, so this shouldn't be much of a problem. We just have to outrun those machines out there in the halls.

"...Three!"

We open the door and make a beeline down the right side of the hall just as a mecha turns to face us from the far left of the same hallway, revving up an engine that makes my gut twist anxiously. This mecha has blue accents, unlike the green, pink, and red accented machines I'd seen before.

 _"HAHAHA! Finally some FRESH MEAT! Better speed the HELL up, or I'm gonna turn you both into mushy red stains!"_ I hear the pilot shout from inside, leading Rantaro around a corner just as it starts to speed after us- much faster than the red machine had in the previous run.

Thankfully, Rantaro and I are both pretty fast, and eventually relief comes to me when I spot the double doors to the gym as we approach it.

"That's the gym...!" I pant as we near it, taking a glance back to see that the machine is getting dangerously close.

We burst through the gym doors and skid to a halt, hands still linked as we glance back and watch the doors close on the blue machine as it comes to a halt.

 _"HA! Two down for me! Better hurry the HELL up,_ _Monosuke_ _, 'Cause I'm WINNING!"_ We hear the pilot shout, before the sound of the heavy machine starts heading down the hall away from the gym.

After we catch our breaths, we turn to look at the other four already present, one of them bouncing on his heels in obvious excitement while I search his face for any sign of him recalling who I am. I can't _possibly_ be the only one that remembers, right...?

"Wooow, the first girl! And I was starting to think this would just be full of boring boys," Kokichi blurts out, eyes sparkling as he bounces over to us. "Hey, I'm-!"

"Kokichi Oma," I cut him off, noting the flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Which tells me you don't remember what happened before either..."

"Remember...? What exactly do you speak of?" Korekiyo inquires as he joins the three of us along with Gonta and Kiibo at his sides. "Do you perhaps know what's going on here?"

"Well..." Rantaro thankfully takes over explaining things at this point, much to my relief, leaving me to play with my uniform's tie until I realize someone is staring at me. Looking up, I'm not surprised to see Kokichi observing me quietly, not even averting his gaze when I clearly notice his stare.

Just when I'm about to ask him if he needs anything (like a life), I notice him shuffling one of his feet a little and decide to use it as a topic.

"What's wrong with your foot?" I ask, staring down at it and watching the violet eyed boy shuffle it again slightly. Don't tell me it's from...

"It's sore. I might have banged it against the locker before I woke up or something," Kokichi huffs, looking down at it in annoyance as he wiggles the tip of his shoe against the floor.

A sputter of a laugh makes it past my lips before I can stop it, causing me to pull my hair over my face to keep him from seeing the massive smirk forming across my features. I turn away quickly when I notice him look up at me, although I'm sure I've already given away enough to make me look suspicious. Not like I could help it though, he doesn't remember I stomped on his foot...! That's hilarious!

Seems like he's even keener than I'd previously assumed though, because he begins to stare even more at me. When I finally quell my grin in exchange for timid confusion so I can look back at him, he's got a studious leer trained on me. There's no _way_ he'll figure it out, right...? He's not THAT smart, just mischievous.

"S-Sorry for laughing..." I quickly say since I know that's what's garnered his attention in the first place. Despite this though, Kokichi makes no move to tear his gaze away from me. Eventually, I can feel myself begin to squirm uncomfortably at the piercing stare. What's wrong with him? Is he really that upset that I laughed over his foot? "Fine, look. I don't like you and it made me laugh... You were a creep when we met last time, so e-excuse me for finding your suffering entertaining! I'm only sorry I didn't do it myself!"

 _There! That should get him off my back, right? I'm only lying about the last part, the rest is totally true... Whatever, it's not like he'll ever figure it out._

...

Kokichi suddenly smiles at me and folds his arms behind his neck in a laid back manner, dropping that terrible stare to finally continue treating me like a human being rather than a specimen under a microscope. At first, I think he's done with me, but of course that's just too much to ask for.

"I think you're cute," he simply states much to my horror. I glare only slightly at him, knowing exactly what to watch out for from last time despite my cheeks growing warm.

 _Relax, relax... If he irritates you, just walk away. Just like Rantaro said- walk away. Don't waste precious energy on the violet gremlin..._

"Buuut, then again, I _am_ a liar... And everyone knows it's usually the cute ones that are terrible rotten souls on the inside~!" Kokichi snickers, before stepping a little closer when I don't immediately react. I don't want a repeat of last time where he managed to get the right response out of me by chasing after me when I retreated, so I force myself to stand there and grit my teeth to the discomfort of his proximity.

I definitely want to say something snippy to him, but I'm definitely not triggered enough to be brave at the moment. Not like when I stomped on his foot before- my fire was at peak heat that time.

Kokichi hums thoughtfully... And then grins wider.

"Good news! I don't see a rotten soul inside you whatsoever," Kokichi brightly informs me much to my surprise. _What?_ He's _complimenting_ me then? Where the heck is that coming from? This is worse than when he was outright insulting me! I mean- "In fact, I don't see anything in there at all~! I guess that makes you a soulless airhead."

I already know everyone else is preoccupied with Rantaro, so I hardly even hesitate to stomp my foot down hard on Kokichi's good foot, jumping back and quickly scurrying behind Rantaro for protection when I hear Kokichi's familiar shout and curse.

 _"Damn it!_ I knew it! _You're_ the reason my other foot hurts! You stomped on it the last time we met, didn't you! Come 'ere, I'm gonna-!"

"Kokichi! Gonta no can allow you hurt small one!" Gonta explains, stepping in the violet eyed teen's path so he can't make his way over to Rantaro and I. Kokichi grits his teeth, but eventually seems to calm his temper in a snap- smiling up at Gonta and then looking around him at me.

"Just so you know? This isn't over. I'll get you back, don't worry," Kokichi remarks with a wicked grin, making me shiver just slightly before turning my back and blowing out a quiet breath of relief and satisfaction. Seems like I managed to get away with it without immediate retaliation from Kokichi again...

And that's when I hear Rantaro clear his throat from behind me, prompting my back to straighten up like an arrow. Oh right. Rantaro can see right through me too.

Although I don't really want to face the music, I turn and look up at him guiltily. He raises a single eyebrow at me and I turn bright red in shame, falling apart under his chiding stare.

"...I'm sorry...!" I weakly squeak, before his stare relaxes into a hopeless smile.

"Prairie, from what I gather, I'm almost certain we already had a talk like this before, even if I have happened to forget it. So... What did I tell you?" Rantaro inquires knowingly, crossing his arms.

"...Walk away...and don't stomp on people's toes..." I mumble sheepishly, causing the nearby Korekiyo to cackle in amusement.

"Oh? So she did stomp on Kokichi's foot? It's very big of you to admit where you've gone wrong, miss...?" Korekiyo trails off for me to supply a name.

Relieved that Rantaro is no longer giving me that chastising look, I face Korekiyo with a timid smile.

"Prairie Marble," I answer him, reeling Rantaro gently muss the top of my head warmly. I practically glow at the attention, until I notice Kokichi staring at me again. As soon as our eyes meet, he rolls his obviously. I just turn my gaze back to Korekiyo, preferring not to entertain Kokichi since I know Rantaro would prefer if I ignored his instigations anyways.

"Prairie..." Korekiyo tests the name, before his eyes twinkle. He's probably smiling under his mask, from what I can tell. "That's a rather unique name. I suppose I have no need to give you mine, yes? You probably already know it."

I giggle a little, smiling at the fact. "Yep! You're Korekiyo Shinguji," I answer, just as I turn towards Gonta and Kiibo. "And you two are Gonta Gokuhara and Kiibo."

"Indeed! Thank you for remembering!" Kiibo comments, lifting his face just slightly for me to see the smile he mostly has kept hidden under his jacket collar. I wonder if he's a shy guy too? He doesn't really sound like a shy person... He'd be more like me if that was the case, right?

"Um, makes Gonta happy too, but... Why only Small Prairie remember? Why we forget?" Gonta asks, prompting us to all share mixed looks with one another. I couldn't tell them why either, since it makes about as much sense to me as it does to them.

"Hey, this might be more obvious than we think. I mean... What separates the rest of us from Prairie?" Kiibo queries, prompting Kokichi to finally stroll on back to us, standing to my left much to my mild discomfort.

"Iono. That she's the only one with a set of badonkas?" Kokichi shamelessly blurts out to my horror, prompting me to quickly hide behind Rantaro again with a whine of shame.

"Don't be vulgar, have some respect. Must you _honestly_ pick on a girl in such a way?" Korekiyo quickly comes to my defense while Rantaro rubs the back of my neck to relax me.

"What, that was right though, wasn't it? She's a girl and the rest of us are boys! So maybe that flashlight device you guys mentioned from before doesn't work as well on girls as it does on boys!" Kokichi brushes off the masked teen's words, as if he hadn't been chastised at all. "So in that case, all we would need to do is confirm it! Let's just ask the next girl that comes in!"

"Uh... Prairie, _will_ more girls be appearing in that case...?" Kiibo inquires, making me nod in affirmation after stepping out from behind Rantaro. "How many of us are there in total, if you don't mind me asking?"

"There's seventeen of us. Eight boys and nine girls from what I counted before," I answer, eyeing Rantaro's uneasy shift as he lets out a sigh. I wonder what he knows? He acted funny when I mentioned this before too...

"Guys. I think I have an idea of why we're here," Rantaro says after a moment of contemplative silence. My heart skips a beat at the confirmation of my previous musings. So he does know something... "Have any of you ever heard of two individuals called Monokuma or Junko Enoshima?"

Most of us shake our heads no, which Rantaro seems to expect.

"I figured... I don't really know why I'd be the only one to know this, since it seems the one able to retain their memories so far is Prairie and _not_ me, but... Monokuma is a black and white dual toned robot bear mascot for a game conjured up by a girl named Junko. She's also known as the Ultimate Despair," Rantaro explains, prompting a few confused expressions on the faces of the other four boys.

"What's that got to do with anything though?" Kiibo asks, looking just a little nervous as Rantaro continues his explanation.

"Prairie told me we encountered a robot bear bearing a somewhat similar appearance to that of Monokuma. If we're going by the fact that this robot is here and the fact that seventeen of us are gathered in one place.. That might mean we're here to play that game Junko created."

I blink and look at the other boys for some kind of reaction, but it seems they're just as puzzled as I am. A game? We were shoved in lockers and chased by giant mechs for some type of... _game?_ Whatever game this is supposed to be, I'm not having any fun.

 _Maybe the fun isn't for us. Maybe it's for someone else spectating..._ I think, before shaking the thought off. Who would be watching us anyways? Who would _want_ to watch us running for our lives? That's terrible, no way it's possible!

"Oh! Well what kind of game is it? I'll bet I can totally win and-!" Kokichi starts, eyes sparkling energetically with interest until Rantaro cuts him off.

"It's a killing game," Rantaro finishes gravely, causing my stomach to roll.

 _...I don't think anyone would watch a killing game. That's just...sick... Is that what's really going on here?_

...

"Oh." Kokichi has stopped talking entirely, clearly absorbing the news as well as the rest of us do. My stomach is knotting in all these uncomfortable ways, and I can't think of anything to say, let alone even bring myself to open my mouth. I'm pretty sure if I did, I'd only end up losing my lunch.

 _When was the last time we've eaten anyways? I don't feel hungry..._ I think curiously, before getting myself on track despite that I really don't want to think about this whole fiasco probably being related to a "killing game".

"Surely you can't be serious... A killing game? For what purpose exactly would anyone want seventeen strangers to participate in a killing game of any sort?" Korekiyo asks, fixing his mask on his face.

"Entertainment. Do you guys know what your Ultimates are? I'm the Ultimate Adventurer from what I can recall," Rantaro states, watching as the other boys seem to contemplate before shaking their heads. Rantaro is an Ultimate? Huh... I guess it's not too surprising.

"I didn't think I was an ultimate anything, to be honest," Kiibo states, scratching a cheek under his coat collar.

"Gonta just Gonta too," Gonta agrees. "Why Ultimate so important?"

"Well, they usually gather only Ultimates for these sort of games. If we're gathered here for a killing game for certain, then it's because we're exceptional in some way or have a certain exceptional talent. I was thinking maybe one of us might have a talent we can counter Monokuma with...if this _is_ a killing game we're being thrown into," Rantaro adds, before looking down at me. "Prairie, do you remember yours?"

I glance up at him and focus on thinking back. Ultimates? I totally forgot they were a thing to begin with, considering the situation that's been going on, but... Yes, I remember I have an Ultimate. It's...

...

No, it's not coming to me right now.

"I _know_ I have an Ultimate, but I can't remember what it is. It's on the tip of my tongue..." I tell them, biting my lip as I try to drag the memory out from under the mess of confusion in my head. Why are my own memories so jumbled up anyhow?

"I'll bet you're the Ultimate Annoyance~!" Kokichi decides to remark, before Kiibo defensively lashes back for me with, "No, I'm one hundred percent certain _that_ title is all yours, Kokichi."

Kokichi's expression drops into vivid melancholy, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Th-that's so... _mean!_ It's like none of you even care my toes got assaulted! ...I'm only talking back because she hurt _me_ first...!"

Just like that, crocodile tears erupt from Kokichi, along with the most comical sob I've ever heard a boy his age make. I'm sure I only find it slightly amusing since I've learned my lesson from his fake tears the last time he used them against me...

"WAAAHHH! All of you _HATE_ ME! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" He sobs dramatically, causing my expression to deadpan with Korekiyo's and Rantaro's.

"G-Gonta no hate you! No cry, Kokichi, okay?" Gonta stammers, obviously falling for the act and even gaping in slight surprise when Kokichi suddenly stops and grins- all tears dry as if they were never there to begin with.

"Thanks, Gonta! I feel all better now knowing you've got my back!" Kokichi shoots me a look as he stands next to Gonta, sticking his tongue out. "Ha. My partner could eat your partner for breakfast."

"Huh?" Gonta asks, scratching his cheek in curious confusion.

"Just ignore him, Gonta," Rantaro comments, before running a hand through his hair. It's when he does this that an unfortunate thought pops up in my head. I don't want to ask, but...

"Rantaro, how...does the killing game work? Is there a way we can maybe just all not kill each other and go home?" I ask timidly, not liking the topic but having processed it enough to finally speak up on it.

"Uh, well, we're all trapped here. That much probably isn't obvious yet, but if this is a killing game, then we're guaranteed to have no way out. The only way we're permitted to go home is if we kill a fellow student and get through a class trial without being caught as the murderer," Rantaro explains, causing a dry chuckle lacking amusement from Korekiyo.

"So we need to get away with murder... Interesting. And if we do, our captors send us home? That's much too simple for the grand scheme of things," Korekiyo huffs behind his mask, before earning a nod of agreement from Rantaro.

"Yeah, that's the simple answer. Thing is, the only one that goes home if they aren't caught is the murderer. All the innocents die in that case, which ends the killing game in a less than favorable way. If the killer _is_ caught, they get executed...and then we repeat the process of murdering for freedom. The game ends when a murderer gets away, or when there are two innocents left."

"G-Good god!" Kiibo gasps, obviously horrified by the explanation Rantaro has gone and dropped on us. "Are you absolutely sure this is a killing game ground? Is there even the slightest possibility you could be wrong?"

Rantaro bites his lip and allows his gaze to drop down to me thoughtfully, which I return with a curious look back up at him.

"...Maybe. The only strange things are that the bear Prairie saw was partly red instead of black and the issue that there are seventeen of us rather than the usual sixteen. I really hope I'm wrong and overthinking it all, but I'm not about to lower my guard until I know for sure," Rantaro answers with a frown as he rests his hands on his hips.

Gonta runs a hand through his hair, laughing nervously. "Gonta really hope no killing game happens. Gonta...want to make friends. Not _kill_ friends."

 _Yeah, me too, Gonta,_ I agree.

"Well, either way, this sure won't be boring~! Ooh, I'm sort of excited now! It's a good thing you and Prairie Dog know some of the inner workings of all this, or we'd be going in blind otherwise!" Kokichi chirps innocently, making my eyes narrow on him. Why "Prairie Dog"? I _hate_ that nickname...!

I can feel Rantaro watching me, so I simply look the other way so I don't do anything that'll earn me another scolding. Stomping on feet isn't mature.

It's that moment that I look away that things suddenly take a turn for the worse.

"I can't believe it!"

All of us jump from where we're standing, turning around to see the dual toned red and white bear I'd spoken of before standing just a few feet behind Rantaro and I in the middle of the gym. Recalling my earlier description, I hear Kiibo and Gonta shout in panic at it's appearance.

"B-Bear!" Kiibo cries out, pointing at it as if the rest of us somehow can't see it or something.

Ignoring Kiibo, the bear repeats itself with extra emphasis. "I _can't_ believe it!"

"Should Gonta smash?! Gonta can smash!" Gonta announces, preparing himself in defensive fighting position where he's right in the middle between the rest of us and the bear.

"B-Believe what?" I ask timidly as Rantaro steps closer to my side. The bear frowns, eyeing me in obvious disdain.

"I can't _believe_ your boyfriend spoiled _everything!"_ The robotic bear answers me, pointing at Rantaro aggressively enough that it sort of makes me nervous. They aren't gonna hurt him, are they? For extra precaution, I grab on to Rantaro's arm to make sure I can pull him away if anything goes sour.

"Aw, why is _Run-turdo_ her boyfriend?" Kokichi complains, much too casual for it to be an honest complaint. "At this rate, Prairie Dog will be like a harem anime protagonist! _Nee-hee-hee!"_

 _Is he even on the same_ ** _planet_** _as us?! Why is he still embarrassing me in a moment like this- can't he read the mood?!_

"Ah, and speaking of! _You,_ little missy!" The bear is now stabbing his paw in my direction, obviously even more annoyed now. "What the heck is wrong with you?! Why didn't you forget like you did the first time?! You're already a thorn in our side! I knew we should have stuck to only sixteen, adding you was a mistake!"

 _A mistake? So I wasn't originally meant to be a part of this, but for some reason now I am? ...And does that mean they don't know why their memory erasing flashlight isn't working on me either?_

"Wooow, thanks for confirming that for us! Prairie Dog, I hope you're making a mental note of this so you can tell us next time," Kokichi comments, coming up beside me on my other side to give me a grin.

"Huh? What do you...?" I start to ask, before realizing what he means when I look to see the red bear pull out a familiar flashlight. "A-again?!"

"Duh! We can't do anything now that everything has been spoiled for our contestants! Now forget _properly_ this time!" The red bear snaps, aiming it at us. "And no- as a fact of the matter, you won't be telling them _anything_ next time!"

"...Don't you mean 'matter of fact'?" Kokichi asks innocently, causing the red bear to let out a shout of disdain before it clicks something on the flashlight.

I only have time to gasp before the flash blinds me and turns my world a piercing white for the second time.

 ** _End of 1.3 - Take Number_ _Two_**


	4. 1:4 - Third Times a Charm

**_1.4 - Third Time's a Charm_**

This time my eyes snap open seemingly on command with little effort on my part, making me fumble to open the locker door I know is somewhere around me after finding myself in here two other times.

My door swings open and I stumble out, yelping when I feel a sudden gash in my left arm I didn't feel the last time since Rantaro had helped me out of the locker.

Glancing at where Rantaro's tied sleeve is on my bicep, I make a face when I realize I've not only managed to rip the carefully tied fabric, but I'd gone and sliced my arm in the same place _again,_ making a sort of "X"-like shape that begins to seep blood all over.

 _Oh no..._ I think in disapproval, attempting to shift the torn sleeve around where it might cover it better. Since I can't tie it around my arm properly anymore due to the tear, there's unfortunately no pressure to stop the blood flow either. _I guess I'm just gonna bleed out then, huh?_

Just as I swallow thickly and pull off one of my sneakers, the second locker beside mine flies open and-

"Oof...!" Rantaro spills out and onto the floor in a heap, making me yelp in surprise. Thankfully, I'm not in front of his locker this time, so he didn't fall on me this round either.

Rantaro clutches his head and pushes up onto his hands and knees, blinking his eyes until they accustom to the light. Although I'm half relieved to see him, the other half of my conscience knows what's to greet me when he finally looks my way, mild suspicion in his eyes until he notices my left arm's bloody state. "Oh, are you okay? That looks pretty bad... What happened?"

 _...I guess I probably should keep my mouth shut about the "before". That bear is already upset with Rantaro and I- maybe it's best we don't push things until later..._

"I...I sliced it falling out of the locker," I answer, unable to keep the melancholy out of my voice when I speak. Since seeing that suspicion in his eyes stings my heart, I avert my gaze and roll my right sock off my thigh and calves to get on with fixing my arm.

He frowns when I put aside his old sleeve that had been wrapped around my arm, glancing down at his "vest" before looking back at me in confusion. I keep from making eye contact, pretending to be focused on trying to wrap the sock properly around my arm. Thankfully, he doesn't ask about it.

"...Do you need help with that?" He asks when I struggle to tie it around my arm like he'd done already twice before, evidently prompting me to eventually give up and nod quietly in shy embarrassment. I offer him my arm, watching his guard slightly lower. "Alright, let's see about cleaning it off first, or it could get infected even if it's wrapped properly."

 _Oh... I didn't know that part, but that must be why he cleaned it before too,_ I think, standing up with him and grabbing my shoe from behind to pull it on my bare foot.

"Oh," I respond, turning red in embarrassment and quickly hiding my face when I notice him smiling at my reaction.

 _Oh no, he's doing it again...! Being all attractive on accident...!_

I use my good arm to fluff my hair up over my red face, hiding my shame from him. "D-Don't look at me like that...! I don't know anything about survival- it's not my fault...!"

My weak whine prompts Rantaro to laugh as a result.

"Alright, let's see if we can find a water source- that should help," Rantaro says as he stops laughing, making me nod and follow him to the door cautiously as he opens it up and looks out to check the halls.

Thankfully, there are no mechas around when he does, so leads me to one of the two bathrooms where I find myself seated at a counter once again. Rantaro cleans off my arm with a few paper towels before wrapping my sock around the wound and tying it off. After a second, he wrinkles his nose and gestures to my other sock.

"I might need your other sock since this one is kinda thin on it's own," he admits, making me murmur a confirmation and straighten up. Just as I'm about to do it myself, Rantaro reaches down and easily pops off my sneaker, making my cheeks turn red when he slips his cold fingers between the hem of my sock and thigh. I can't help but squeak and giggle involuntarily at the tickle it causes, causing Rantaro to smile a little. "Sorry..."

Once the sock is off, he takes my arm and wraps it tightly around my bicep where the other sock is already tied, layering it over before finishing the job and giving me a satisfied smile once I'm completely patched.

"There we go. Oh, by the way, I'm Rantaro Amami. And you?" He asks pleasantly, his earlier suspicions clearly having completely faded away in the time we've been in each other's presence.

 _I guess he just can't help seeing me as a shy girl that reminds him of his little sister..._ I think with a mildly embarrassed smile.

"I'm Prairie Marble," I introduce myself for the third time, watching as he reaches over and helps lift me off of the counter. Due to my light weight, he grins and and then lifts me up really high like a kid, prompting a silly laugh out of me as he sets me down on my feet properly. When I look back up at Rantaro, he's got this honest smile on his face that eases most of my nerves.

"We should probably leave," Rantaro suggests, smile dropping slightly as his eyes scan the bathroom. He takes hold of one of my hands and leads me towards the door, stepping out to check the hall before pulling me out with him.

 _Hmm... No_ _mechas_ I think, looking down either end of the hall. _Did they decide not to chase us this time? That's strange..._

Rantaro thankfully leads us to the right of the hall, visibly taking in the massive overgrowth of vegetation in what should have been well kept school grounds. I _still_ have no answer to that or even an answer as to where we are, but...

 _"Are you absolutely sure this is a killing game ground?"_

 _"I can't believe your boyfriend spoiled everything!"_

The bears exclamation from before is all the proof I need to know Rantaro had hit the nail on the head. They must not be very smart to have confirmed it like that...

 _But now he doesn't remember anything..._ I think, looking at the back of his curly green hair with a somber frown. I wish I could tell him, but it's best I keep silent since talking could put us in danger.

Rantaro and I apprehensively turn a corner to take a right and-

The sound of a familiar revving engine to the left makes Rantaro and I spin around for a moment, until we see the mecha that appears to have been silently waiting for us to appear. My heart jumps up to my throat, but soon Rantaro and I turn to run down the long hall hand-in-hand towards the gym doors that is in view.

 _"Get back here! I'm gonna turn you into a pretty little pair of bloodstains!"_ I hear the voice from the red and white bear blaring out of the mecha, voice considerably mechanical as it comes through the machine's loudspeakers.

We slam into the gym doors when we reach them, turning to quickly look back as the mecha skids to a halt behind the doorway.

 _Whoopsie_ _! Don't want a repeat of that_ ** _last_** _time!"_ The red bear chirps on the other side, much to my uneasiness. _"Hey,_ ** _girlie!_** _Do me a favor and keep your mouth shut this time,_ ** _or else!"_**

 _Shoot!_ I think, quickly blowing out a breath of anxiety as I look towards Rantaro. _As expected, he's already looking at me, confusion over his features as I look away from him. I can't say anything... I don't like lying to him, but there's just no point telling him the truth anyways. He's probably just going to forget again...! What else am I supposed to do? Hit him in the head and hope everything just comes flooding back?_

"...Prairie-" Rantaro begins, making me timidly shrink back from him as I continue to avoid his gaze. Does he mistrust me now? Will I see suspicion in his eyes again when I look at him?

"Wooow, the first girl! And I was starting to think this would just be full of boring boys," I hear Kokichi blurt out with an almost dejavu feeling as Rantaro and I turn, watching the violet haired boy's eyes sparkling as he bounces over to us. "Hey, I'm Kokichi Oma! The coolest one here! You can go ahead and skip the rest of that lots' dull introductions, don't worry. You're not missing anything."

Kokichi surprises me by grabbing my hands and swinging them side to side with playful ease and a bright grin, making me almost question if he's the same evil gremlin I'd met the other two times.

"Who are you?" He inquires, violet eyes glimmering with interest.

I swallow before gently pulling my hands out of his, quickly covering my face with my hair when my cheeks start to turn red.

"I-I'm Prairie Marble," I nervously answer, half leaning away from him since his behavior is just a bit too abnormal from the behavior I've already seen from him. I give him a timid smile after I quell my blush, causing Kokichi to grin before turning to Rantaro with an equally bright smile.

"And you, playboy?" Kokichi blurts out shamelessly.

 _Ah. There he is,_ I think, visibly deadpanning at his words behind his back. What an appalling remark to someone as nice as Rantaro...! Why would he go and assume Rantaro would be a womanizer, anyways? Is it just because of his good looks?

"...Rantaro Amami," Rantaro answers dryly, stepping closer to me when the three other guys in the gym approach us. Is it because he's being protective again? Or to ensure he can have a moment to ask me about what that stupid bear said?

"What a nuisance you are... Please just ignore him, he seems to enjoy getting on other people's nerves. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji. A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Korekiyo speaks up, causing a heavy sigh from Kokichi as he throws an arm over my shoulders- much too close for comfort.

"See? Wha'd I tell you. _Boring!"_ Kokichi rolls his eyes, but makes no move to remove his arm as I squirm under the pressure of his overwhelming presence. I should say something...! I should shove it off! Slap it off! Punch him!

...Instead, Rantaro reaches over and removes Kokichi's arm himself, much to Kokichi's apparent surprise and my relief as I relocate to Rantaro's other side away from the violet gremlin.

"Kokichi maybe rude, but Gonta sure he harmless!" Gonta speaks up, smiling at Rantaro and I. "Me Gonta Gokuhara! Very nice meet you both!"

Kiibo jumps in after, hair and face still concealed by his coat and hat. I wonder what he's hiding under there... "And I'm Kiibo! I have no last name, just Kiibo."

"It's nice to meet you all," Rantaro picks up the greeting while I shy away from their attention. "So...any ideas why we're here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but...didn't that mecha chasing you two say something odd?" Kiibo points out much to my quiet dismay. "Something about your friend keeping her mouth shut 'this time'?"

Everyone's attention falls on me and I quickly avert my gaze to the floor as if there's something marvelous about it. Should I lie? Or just...don't say anything?

"Prairie, do you know what they meant?" Kiibo asks, voice gentle despite his suspicions.

 _I guess I could just... No. No, I can't. No hints._

"...Maybe," I answer instead, causing surprise to appear on the faces of the boys around me.

 _Wait till I get to the part where I tell them I can't say anything about it..._ I think with a sad look.

 _Daamn_ I knew she wouldn't be boring like you idiots!" I wince a little at Kokichi's words. Of _course_ he has something to say about it... "So what are we here for? Don't be shy, we're all ears!"

I grimace and peek a glance up at Rantaro, only to shrink back when I see it in his eyes.

 _Suspicion._

"No, there's no point. You're all just going to forget again anyways," I mumble, pushing past Kiibo and Gonta as politely as I can despite feeling awful about it. "Excuse me. I want to be alone. Don't bother coming over and asking me anything else either, 'cause I won't say anything."

"W-Wait!" I hear Rantaro try to stop me from somewhere behind, but I ignore it and speed walk until I reach an isolated corner in the gym, taking a seat and reclining my back against the cold wall all by myself.

Although most of the boys glance my way every now and then, thankfully none of them attempt to come over to where I am, instead chattering among themselves. Not even Kokichi seems interested enough to pester me, much to my relief. He's the one I was the most worried about bugging me. Whatever they're talking about must have to do with me, since they keep looking my way though... Probably about the "forgetting" thing I'd let slip out.

 _The one friend I made and he doesn't trust me anymore just because of a comment that stupid bear decided to make... Why am I the only one that remembers? Why can't I just forget too? Remembering is just causing me unnecessary stress._

After a little while of whining and complaining in my mind, the three girls from before burst into the gym, Tenko Chabashira leading and gasping for air as she comes to a stop.

 _...Oh no, she's probably gonna come over here when she realizes I'm not a boy...!_ I think, grimacing and turning away so my back is to them. I guess I'll have to just pray she doesn't.

I trace my finger along a velvety strip at the hem of my skirt uniform, frowning in thought. Now that I think about it, this uniform isn't at all familiar to me... Where did I get it? What school do I even go to? Where is the school? ...Everything before the locker is fuzzy. I can only remember...

Well, undisputable since my last attempts at recollecting my thoughts, my name is definitely Prairie Marble. Two, I am seventeen years old, but I've always been treated younger because of how I look, causing me to develop a child-like demure innocence that doesn't match my age.

...I open my eyes in surprise, not even realizing I'd closed them.

 _Okay, so I at least have some saving grace in my individuality in that I can think critically in a logical manner. Could that be linked to my Ultimate talent somehow?_

What would that be though? ...The Ultimate Analyst? The Ultimate Observer? ...The Ultimate _Detective?_

 _Nah. Those are dumb and_ _cliché_ _... It's definitely something else, those ones aren't clicking with me at all._

The sound of the gym doors being thrown open barely catches my attention this time- I'm far too consumed by my musings to pay attention to any of that. Instead, I extend my legs out straight so they touch the wall, leaning back to lay down and stare up at the ceiling where I can see all the overgrown vegetation entering to overtake the wall. While playing with the vines using the points of my shoes, I continue thinking.

 _So this is going to lead to a killing game... Rantaro deduced it, but the one who went and confirmed it by his actions was the red bear._

 _I'm probably going to be one of the first murders. I can't kill anyone...but I'm pretty sure someone can kill me. I'm small and an easy target- at least that's what I assume looking at myself. Me and that red haired girl look super easy to pick off._

The doors slam open again. I ignore it.

 _Wouldn't it really suck...if Rantaro ended up murdering me? Not even realizing how much I look up to him and how nice I think he is? ...I wish he could remember our other two meetings. He liked me then, but now-_

"Hey."

A face suddenly appears above mine, blocking my view of the ceiling so I flinch and squeak in surprise. Rantaro watches in mild amusement as I quickly sit up and turn to rest my back on the wall again, a slight smile playing at his lips. When I don't say anything and don't smile back, he clears his throat.

"Can I sit with you?" He asks carefully, examining my face for signs of my mood.

My eyes flick past him to the four other boys I've met with two other times, Gonta, Korekiyo, and Kiibo quickly looking away from us and confirming my suspicions that they must have all agreed to send Rantaro after me. Rather than look away like they do, Kokichi gives me a bright grin and waves his arm very obviously, up until Kiibo smacks his shoulder and turns his chuckling form around to look away too.

When I look back up at Rantaro to see him still waiting patiently for my answer, I feel my cheeks turn red at the attention and cover my jaw with my hair, mumbling in response.

"D-Do what you want," I huff, knowing full well my attitude is curt and unwarranted. It's not Rantaro's fault he can't remember...but I'm bitter about it anyways. It's not fair.

Rather than take offense, he smiles more and takes a seat next to me. Why does he smile so much? It's annoying me.

 _It's only annoying you because you're upset. If you weren't so angry, that smile would melt your heart like chocolate fondue,_ a rebellious thought makes itself known in my head much to my irritation. Shut up, brain.

"...So. I'm guessing my memory loss of whatever happened before is why you looked so upset when I fell out of the locker this time, right? It's because I forgot you?" Rantaro surprisingly cuts to the chase to my surprise, making me look up at him beside me where he's decided to trace the lower hem of the velvet strip on my skirt like I'd been doing before.

I'm almost enchanted by his easy going demeanor to disclosing a confirmation before I train my tongue and look away from him quietly. I can't tell him, no matter what. I just need to keep reminding myself so I don't say anything.

"...I don't know what you're talking about," I decide to go with, feeling very guilty for lying to him but biting down on the bullet regardless.

Rantaro glances my way from the corner of my eye, but I keep myself from looking his way.

"I guess it's just a feeling I'm getting, whether you confirm it or not. After all, I thought I was seeing things, but you looked somewhat relieved to see me when I fell out of the locker. It makes sense if we already met and had gotten along back then. I think the thing that completely confirms that I forgot you though... That has to be the fact you had one of my sweater sleeves already tied around your arm. Like I had cleaned and treated your arm already for the first cut you'd gotten on it. Isn't that right, Prairie?" Rantaro explains, much to my aggravation.

 _He's a pretty critical thinker himself,_ I muse to myself, before standing up and taking a step back to face him, well aware of the other four boys eyeing us as Rantaro jumps to his feet too.

"What are you hoping to gain out of telling me this? I already told you, I don't know what you're talking about," I respond sharply, stutter completely gone due to my temper taking precedence. "If you keep asking me, I'll-"

"You'll do what? ...Prairie, you're not seriously considering fighting me, are you?" Rantaro gapes slightly at me in shock, looking just a bit put off at the idea. After eyeing me for a moment though, he frowns a little. "...Something tells me you wouldn't do that."

 _Egging me on, huh?_ I think, feeling my cheeks turn red as I narrow my eyes. I think this is when Rantaro realizes how dead serious I am, causing his own eyes to narrow.

"Fine. Go ahead, Prairie. Hit me. It won't change anything I've said, because I know I'm right about everything," Rantaro accepts, much to my discomfort. He's only saying that because he thinks I won't!

Well then...!

I'm sure everyone watching doesn't actually expect me to do it either.

My hand balls up into a fist and with a speed and force even _I_ don't expect from myself, my fist connects with Rantaro's face as hard as I can possibly muster.

As soon as I've gone with proving him wrong, I step back once his head whips to the side from the force, watching him cautiously. He staggers a little before finding his footing, reaching up and rubbing his jaw in thought as a red mark forms from where I'd hit him.

 _Oh my god, did I really just go and_ ** _punch Rantaro?_** I think in mild horror as I absorb what's just happened with guilt growing in my stomach. _I seriously just punched Rantaro. Right in the face. Oh my god._

"...That's one hell of a swing you have," he actually surprises me by laughing, dropping his hand and pushing some hair out of his eyes to look at me and...smile. Why is he smiling at me after what I just did? It's...it's annoying... "You feel better?"

I grab my hair and cover my face in horror when I feel tears of guilt spring to the corners of my eyes. The one person I've bonded with the most in this terrible place and I went and _punched_ him, even after all the kindness he's shown me since our first meeting- and yet he's worried about how _I_ feel...?

"What is _wrong_ with you...?" I grumble weakly from under all my hair, before he steps forward and pulls me into a warm hug. "I just punched you in the face, you're supposed to be mad and never speak to me again..."

"Mm, sometimes things don't go the way we plan or expect it to, now does it?" Rantaro says, before I finally let out a heavy breath and hug him back.

"...I'm sorry I punched you," I apologize in a whimper against his sweater, feeling my face turn redder as I try to will the tears in my eyes from falling and ruining his clothes. I've already ruined them enough, as far as I'm concerned.

"That's okay. I forgive you," he doesn't hesitate to answer, before I eventually deem myself well enough to lift my head.

"...By the way, you are right. Korekiyo, Gonta, Kiibo, Kokichi, you, and I met two other separate times for the first time already. Being the only one that remembers is really stressful... I just wasn't supposed to say because-" I start, looking up at him so our eyes meet.

Rantaro almost looks relieved by my admission, as if he were expecting me to keep denying it. Before he can say anything else however-

"Again?! You must _really_ have a death wish, little missy!" The red bear snaps loudly, seeming to have spontaneously appeared next to Rantaro and I. He's so loud that the other people that hadn't been watching us before now have their eyes directed our way. _"You need to_ ** _mouth shut."_**

...What?

"Silly Monotaro!" Another bear appears much to my surprise, this one half pink and half white with a little white flower at their left ear and a bra of coconuts with a flower design over each cup. It sounds like the voice of the first pink accented mecha Rantaro and I encountered the first time we'd woken up. "It's 'you need to shut your mouth!' And that you do, you little ugly bastard!"

Just when I think it can't possibly get any worse than two bears, although I'd speculated at least four already, two more pop up, one a half green bear that looks visibly more robotic than plush like the other three. The bear that appears alongside him is one that is half blue with a literal tuft of chest hair and a guitar- looking so ridiculous I almost have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"Guess who's fault it's gotta be! I'll give ya one hint- he's _ugly,_ he's _green,_ and he's the biggest fuckin' _eyesore_ I've ever seen!" The blue one shouts, much to the green bear's obvious discomfort.

"...Luigi?" the red bear, Monotaro, answers with a paw to his chin as he looks up in thought.

"WRONG FRANCHISE! I'm talkin' about-!" The blue bear starts shouting, before a fifth bear appears, fixing a set of round black glasses over his half yellow toned face and playing with an abacus.

"Oh, Please. Forget Monodam, the only one whose fault it is happens to be lil' Miss Prepubescent!" The yellow bear snaps, silencing the blue bear into messing with his guitar heatedly. "Now back to the issue, how are we gonna fix this one? The memory erasing obviously doesn't work on her anymore, these last two resets prove it. Should we proceed with just killing her now?"

 _Killing me?! Th-They're really gonna do it?!_ I think, shrinking back. I feel Rantaro tug me behind his body, glaring at the bears as they bicker among each other.

"Heehee, oh, don't be like that, lover boy! We'll just kill her sooner if you interfere, and it'll be _all_ your fault!" The pink bear chirps brightly, looking towards the yellow bear. "Monosuke, chase the other stragglers here, will you? You too, Monokid, I wanna get it over with quickly! Oh, you know I _hate_ gore, but when it's _excessive,_ unnecessary, blood-squirting gore, I'm all good!"

"Sure, we're off!" Monosuke agrees, before quickly bounding away somewhere, followed by the blue bear who lets out a "whoop" of excitement and strums his guitar excessively on the way out.

 _Gore...?!_ I think, just as Monotaro jumps up and down, glaring my way.

"You talk too much! I tell you to shuddup and you fold the second pretty boy flutters his eyelashes at you! Now you get to face the consequences!" Monotaro snaps, growing more and more visibly agitated. "I won't let you spoil any more than you already have!"

"Hey, how dare you speak to an adorable sweet angel like her in such a nasty way!" Tenko snaps, suddenly appearing beside Rantaro with her fists up. "I've been in my fair share of fights, I can promise you that!"

"Gonta too! Gonta will be meat shield for Small Prairie!" Gonta pops up on Rantaro's other side, just before four other people burst into the gym lead by that magenta haired guy from last time.

"That's everyone! Which means...!" Monophanie pauses, just as two of the mechas drop in beside Rantaro, Gonta, Tenko and I, landing with loud crashes that startle everyone in the gym. _"It's_ _ **punishment** **time!** __Let's give it everything we've got!"_

I only blink for a moment, but as soon as I do, Gonta and Tenko are snatched up and removed from their places beside Rantaro, the two audibly complaining and struggling in objection while Rantaro and I back up into the corner- with Rantaro keeping himself rooted in front of me.

 _"We suggest ya move, or we'll just kill you bastards now!"_ I hear Monokid howl from within the blue accented mecha that's holding Tenko in a vice grip, the girl kicking her legs and trying to get a footing that will push her out of it's hold.

"You at _least_ have a fighting chance playing the game we have in mind! But, ah, just remember you're not necessary, you know? So technically we can off you guys whenever we want... Probably. In that case-! _You either play our game,_ _or **we'll go ahead and kill everyone in this gym!"**_ Monotaro chirps, much to everyone's horror.

"What?! What the hell's goin' on and what are you talking about? Did you _toys_ lock us in here?!" The magenta haired guy snaps, approaching the toys that are all surrounded by the other students. It's obvious everyone is wary though, considering the two mechs standing among the teddy bear brigade in their ranks.

 _"You don't have to worry your little head about that, it's up to pretty boy and his ugly dwarf back there if all you bastards die right now!"_ Monosuke casually comments from inside his mecha, while Gonta slams his only free arm in a fist down on the arm of the mecha that's got an iron grip on him. For as strong as he looks, it's clear the machines have the upper hand on this one since it hardly shudders at the impact of his fist.

 _They're gonna kill everyone if I don't play their stupid punishment game?!_

"Aww, I don't think they believe us! Is it because we really look like toys? We're _not_ toys!" Monotaro barks dejectedly.

 _"How about we do_ ** _this_** _then?!"_ Monosuke suddenly pipes up again, before Gonta and Tenko let out loud gasps, followed by the sound of weak croaking as they begin to go pale in the grips of Monosuke's and Monokid's mechanical grips.

 _They're gonna kill them,_ ** _do something!_**

"STOP! OKAY! I'll do it!" I blurt out, roughly escaping Rantaro when he makes an attempt to stop me from stepping forward. "Put them down, I'll play your game!"

And so they do.

The mechas drop Tenko and Gonta unceremoniously onto the floor before the blue and yellow bear bound out from their mechas with those half sinister grins stuck to their faces, both cackling in malicious amusement.

 _"Yeaaaaahh!_ LET'S TURN THIS BITCH INSIDE OUT!" Monokid screams in glee, violently ripping into his guitar so hard the cheap cardboard object's strings snap and then turning to slam it on the floor. There's hardly a loud noise since it's made of mostly cardboard, prompting him to look up with a sheen of sweat and add, "PRETEND IT MADE A LOUD NOISE!"

"H-how gory!" Monophanie squeals, hiding her face in her paws in a similar fashion as I do when I fluff my hair over my face. Is that supposed to be her mocking me...?

"Prairie, we can figure out a way out of this, you don't need to play any sort of game of theirs..." Rantaro murmurs quietly by my ear as he steps closer, but I just push him away.

"There _is_ no other way so long as they have those mechas, Rantaro. What are we supposed to do, beat them into submission with a stick? We don't even have _that,"_ I stress to him quietly, begging him to understand with my eyes. "Let me do this. Please."

There's no stutter from me this time either, and after a second of staring down at me quietly with obvious objection and concern, Rantaro eventually sighs and steps back reluctantly. I'm sure deep down, he knows we have no other choice too.

"What game am I playing?" I ask as confidently as I can, though I can hear a slight tremor in my voice as I turn to look at the five cackling bears around us as they bounce eagerly in excitement.

"We're gonna play... _Kagome, Kagome!"_ Monotaro announces, before herding me away from Rantaro by approaching me with the other four bears so I can only walk towards the center of the gym. The other teens move aside so we're given room, leaving me in the very middle where I'm surrounded by the five multi colored toy bots.

There's varying expressions on the faces of the teenagers around me, ranging from confusion and fear, to pity and worry.

When my eyes find Kokichi's though, he's sporting a completely unreadable face, not even shifting expressions when our eyes meet.

 _What a creep,_ I decide, despite knowing full well I wouldn't want even a jerk like _him_ to be killed just because I refused to play a game that I have the slightest chance of surviving.

"Stand still~!" Monophanie giggles from behind, surprising me by jumping on my back. I squeak in surprise, but just before I can do anything else, a checkered black and white blindfold is tied over my eyes, plunging me in pure darkness. "That should be sufficient! She definitely can't see with it on!"

Monophanie jumps off of me, allowing me to stand up straight in case this game of theirs gets, uh, _violent._ I want to at least be able to run if I have to...

"Spin around three times! Chop, chop, ya bastard!" Monokid orders, closer than I'm comfortable with and making me flinch before following his orders.

"Now...us Kubbies are going to spin around you and sing. By the time our song ends, you as the 'Oni' have to guess which bear is standing behind you!" Monotaro states, sounding seemingly professional now. "If you get it right, we move on! If you're wrong, we bisect you and watch your ugly guts spill across the floor!"

I swallow thickly, hands clammy and cold as I process just how low my chances at winning are. A guessing game? This isn't what I had in mind at all... When they said I had a fighting chance of survival, I should have known there was a catch.

 _Better than Tenko and Gonta getting crushed to death,_ I think, feeling the tremble in my hands halt as I make peace with that thought. Right, I'd rather it be me that gets the punishment... I'm the one that disobeyed them in the first place anyways. I should have taken their warnings more seriously.

"H-How cruel! Why are you doing this?! What did she do to-?" A feminine voice I don't recognize shouts angrily, only to be quickly cut off by Monophanie's sweet voice.

"Now, now, simmer down! I can assure you she's getting _exactly_ what she deserves!" Monophanie purrs in delight. If it weren't for her supporting this madness, I'd be pressed to think she was a good robot. Of course, that's definitely not true though... Even if she does happen to look cute.

"What she 'deserves'? I doubt she could have done anything to deserve a punishment like this." This statement comes from a different girl, one with a far more serious tone of voice.

"Sure she did! She opened her big fat mouth and disclosed information you idiots would have never realized if it wasn't for her! And then she went and did it _again,_ despite our warnings! If anyone _else_ is at fault, you're welcome to yell at the pretty boy she told it to!" Monosuke says from another direction.

 _That's right, keep talking... That way I know who's next to who._

"Oh? But how would we or even Rantaro know if Prairie Dog was lying or not? Maybe it's _your_ guys' fault for basically confirming it," I hear Kokichi slyly accuse, obviously amused by his tone. He has a nice voice... Not that I'll ever tell that to his face. I'd never live it down.

"N-no, _you!"_ Monotaro snaps, causing me to smile. At least Kokichi is getting on their nerves too. Better them than me! "Hey, quit smiling, ankle biter! You're still in the hotbox!"

"You mean 'hot seat', Monotaro! A hotbox is something else...!" Monophanie quickly corrects her red companion.

 _"Nee-hee-hee!"_ I hear Kokichi laugh, amused either because of Monotaro's weak defense or my reaction to him annoying the toy bots.

"Time to get STARTED, _YEAH!_ Oh, if anyone's feelin' heroic or something and we catch you trying to give her hints, we'll just go ahead and kill her immediately! So DON'T TRY BEING SNEAKY, _GOT IT?!_ And by the way, I'm looking at _you,_ pretty boy!" Monokid exclaims, making me wrinkle my nose. What jerks, talking to Rantaro like that...

"Ready, little bastard?" Monophanie inquires, prompting me to take a deep breath. Once I've released most of the tension in my body, I nod. "Okie dokie~! Then-"

"Hold on. At least make sure she knows which of you is which. How is it supposed to be fair if she doesn't even know who each of you are?" This is obviously from Korekiyo.

"Ah. Good point. Well, I'm Monosuke, the yellow one."

"I'm the red one, Monotaro!"

"Blue's for Monokid, ya BASTARD! Vomit green is for Monodam, but no one wants to hear his dumb ass talk!"

"And last but not least, I'm the pretty pink one! Monophanie! And don't forget I'll _always_ be cuter than you!"

I roll my eyes under the blindfold. She's concerned about that?

"Okay then," I simply answer, before feeling a swift and painful impact on my shin that makes me stagger.

"That's just 'cause I don't like you! You're not cute at all!" Monophanie chirps. "Let's go, time to play!"

 _Time to listen carefully is more like it,_ I think, concentrating when they start to sing around me.

 _"Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me~ Ka-go no naka no to-ri wa~"_

 _"Itsu itsu, dey-a-ru~ Yo-a-ke no baan ni~"_

 _"Tsu-ru to ka-me ga stubetta~"_

 _"Ushiro no shou-men daare~?"_

Their voices spin around me before it comes to a stop, and then a silence extends across the gym, leaving me to figure it out on my own.

 _I have a one in five chance of guessing the right bear that's behind me... But how can I be sure they didn't switch places after they introduced themselves? I mean-_

Stop distracting yourself. You don't even-

"Monosuke," I blurt out, almost wanting to punch _myself_ in the face this time. I didn't even think about it, I was just nervous and picked the first name that came to mind...! I'm going to die right now, aren't I?

"Y-You...!" Monosuke growls from behind me much to my surprise. "You may have gotten it right this time, but don't get cocky! That was only round one! You've still got _nine rounds left!"_

"WHAT? Are you kidding me?! That's not fair!" Tenko doesn't hesitate to snarl from where she is somewhere to my left. "How _dare_ you change the rules spontaneously on her!"

"Well, you're the ones that are under _our_ mercy, so..." Monophanie reminds the fiery spirited girl, prompting a furious growl from Tenko.

"We can do _WHATEVER_ we damn well please! Time for round _two!_ You won't be so lucky two times in a row, sweet cheeks!"

And then they start to sing the song again, their voices spinning around me until they fall silent along with everyone in the gym.

 _I want to think critically about who could possibly be behind me, but... Why do I just want to blurt out Monosuke again?_

"Monosuke," I can't help but answer.

"J-Jeez...!" I hear one of the students speak up.

"Nyeeeh...! This kind of suspense isn't good for my heart...!"

 _"Nyahahaha!_ What luck is with that girl! Very impressive!"

 _"A-Again!"_ Monosuke barks, audibly agitated.

The song is repeated and I listen carefully, even though I know I'll just lose track of them again this round. When they stop, I don't even try to train my mouth this time.

"Monophanie," I answer off the bat, followed by growls of annoyance from the bears.

"Third round!" Monophanie speaks before anybody else can, continuing the song while I stand there blindfolded, quietly contemplating how on _Earth_ I'd gotten three rounds correct on what is seemingly random thoughtless guesses.

As soon as the bears stop singing, I blurt out, "Monodam."

Fourth round, "Monosuke."

Fifth round, "Monokid."

Sixth round, "Monotaro."

"What the hell are you, a _psychic?!_ Get one wrong already! This is getting ridiculous!" Monotaro exclaims with barely contained annoyance.

At this point, I feel noticeably light headed and sleepy. Like standing here doing this is somehow hard work. Despite this, I remain persistent.

Seventh round, "Monophanie."

Eighth round, "Monodam."

Ninth round, "Monokid."

"Okie dokie~! Final round, are you ready? It would be just _awful_ to lose at the end when you're so close to winning!" Monophanie chirps brightly, standing somewhere to my left. I swallow thickly, apprehension at the forefront of my mind in response to her words. Are they planning to cheat this round?

 _"Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me~ Ka-go no naka no to-ri wa~"_

 _"Itsu itsu, dey-a-ru~ Yo-a-ke no baan ni~"_

 _"Tsu-ru to ka-me ga stubetta~"_

 _"Ushiro no shou-men daare~?"_

"WAH!" I hear some of the students shout in surprise, before there's movement and shuffling around. After a second, everything settles down, save for some students gasping lowly for a reason unbeknownst to me.

 _Monokuma._

What? No, that can't be right. There's only five of them playing. It's one of those five toys.

 _Monokuma. Monokuma. Monokuma,_ my brain insists.

"...Monokuma," I answer, crossing my fingers nervously.

"...Puhuhuhuhu!" The laugh that comes from behind me sends chills up my spine despite the fact that it sounds like a cheerful cartoon-like voice. "How unexpected! What _intuition_ you have! Feel free to remove your blindfold, Miss Marble!"

I'm just about to reach up and untie it when I feel someone already pulling at the tight knot, easily undoing Monophanie's work until I'm blinded by the brightness of the gym and press my fingers over my eyes to recuperate. By the time I can see again, I find Rantaro to be the one to have untied my blindfold. Gonta, Korekiyo, Kiibo, and Kokichi surround me as well with curious and relieved expressions across their faces...except for Kokichi, who looks more curious and _amused_ in his case.

 _"Now..."_ Monokuma's voice makes me turn around, a swimming pain in my head like a headache pounding against the walls of my head. The second I see the much larger robotic bear, a dual tone of black and white, Rantaro's previous statement from our last meeting floats to my mind.

 _The killing game mascot..._ I think, feeling Rantaro rest his hands on my shoulders and draw me back so I'm within his protective range.

"I think your polite compliance is warranting of us allowing you to divulge that info you have with everyone else this round! It won't change anything, but you know... You can. Think of it as a prize for winning ten rounds of _Kagome, Kagome~!"_ Monokuma gleefully explains before a long tongue that doesn't match his appearance _at all_ comes lolling out of his mouth, pants of pleasure escaping him. "Although, I really would have enjoyed your death this early! How sweet of you to risk your life for these _strangers_ around you! You certainly don't _owe_ them anything!"

I choose not to answer, and thankfully Monokuma lets it slide past.

"...So how did you do it? That wasn't luck. You know it, and I know it. Am I right in guessing you have a splitting headache right now? You can tell me, I won't kiss and tell~!" Monokuma giggles, before Rantaro pulls me behind him, likely to make a point to Monokuma that he won't be getting any answers out of me. "Fine, be that way. He can't protect you forever though, Marble, remember that."

With that thinly veiled threat that doesn't go past me, Monokuma turns to direct his attention to the five colored bears behind him.

"Hey, didn't I give you orders on how to deal with these idiots? Start over and do it _right_ this time!" Monokuma barks irritably, raising a flashlight that immediately reminds me of his words moments before.

 _"It won't change anything!"_

I make a sound of discontent as I put two and two together in my head. There _is_ no prize winning the game, I just got to live. My permission to share the information is just a warning that they'll go and start over if I spoil things too early.

"Not again...!" I groan with a grimace.

The other teenagers in the gym look towards me curiously, save for Rantaro who appears to look like he's just realized something.

Too bad that Monokuma switches on the flashlight right at that moment.

 ** _End of 1.4 - Third Time's a Charm_**


	5. 1:5 - Final Take

_**1.5 - Final Take**_

I open my eyes, shrouded by inky blackness all around me.

 _Ah. Back here again,_ I think to myself, reaching out to open the locker door due to familiarity with the routine at this point. Fourth time's the charm...?

I stagger slightly as I exit, but manage to avoid slicing my arm a third time by stepping out closer towards the right side of the locker. My head is still pounding from after the _Kagome, Kagome_ game, but there's no way for me to tell how long it's been since then.

 _"...So how'd you do it? That wasn't luck. You know it, and I know it."_

Monokuma's words ring in my head as I look around at the desks ahead of me, stabilizing myself on one of the tables. What was that supposed to mean? I thought it was just scary good luck. Was Monokuma implying I have some sort of psychic ability? That's all science fiction junk...

I pout a little and turn to look for Rantaro, eyes landing on his locker. I'm immediately startled when I see his locker already opened- devoid of my green haired companion I'd come to look forward to seeing at this point.

 _...This time he didn't check my locker to see if anyone was also in there._

Without him to greet me, I feel a stab akin to betrayal and pain that makes zero sense since I'm still fully aware his memory loss is not his own fault. Yet despite this...I end up turning back towards my locker and climbing in again, shutting the locker door behind me gently. The robot bears will probably get mad at me for staying in my locker, but I can't go out there. Not again.

Especially not when I'm likely still the only one that still has my memories of the last resets.

I slide down the dark locker until I'm sitting with my arms around my pulled up knees, waiting for the universe to swallow me up and take me away. It's dark, but warm from my body heat now.

 _If I go out there, I'll be meeting everyone for the fourth time. They won't recognize me again and Rantaro will be suspicious of me all over again._

...

 _No. I think I'll just stay here. They can go ahead and drag me out later if they want, I'm sick and tired of this. I don't want any part of it... I want to go home!_

Where exactly is home? I still can't remember that...

And _who's_ at home? Do I even have two parents? A single parent? ...Am I an orphan?

What life do I want to return to? I don't remember it.

I close my eyes and think hard until I remember something. It's not much, but it's something, and _that_ I'm grateful enough for.

 _"I want to go all over the world!"_ Is a familiar statement I remember making in excitement to someone. _"I want to see everything and learn more! And I want to spend everything with-"_

With who? Who did I say this to? These are definitely my words, but the person I said it to is a blob of black squares in my mind- their identity shrouded by my memory loss.

 _How was I able to lose my memories once, but not the other times?_

My hand drags up to my neck, where I finger the thick velvet choker around my collar that I'd almost forgotten I'd been wearing. I unclasp the metal closure at the back and take it off, running my fingers over it curiously since I can't actually see it in the dark.

That's right, didn't I first wake up with a foil attached to my necklace that contained a small square of mint chocolate? I knew it was weird at the time, but I still went and ate it... Maybe it had something that counteracts whatever the flashlights do when erasing their memories, but does that mean I anticipated what would happen? If so, why didn't I just eat it before the first brainwashing if I had it?

 _Maybe someone working for this "Danganronpa" group gave it to me in secret? But that still rides on whether the little mint chocolate really_ _ **does**_ _have something to do with why I'm retaining my memories now._

...Furthermore, why would they want to wipe our memories if he's going to make us kill one another? That part makes very little sense...unless we all know each other? Maybe that's something _I've_ forgotten too.

 _Why would they think we would kill one another though? Everyone in the gym, even some I haven't met before, came to my defense when they were heckling me during the Kagome, Kagome game... Would one of us really kill someone? Even to escape this place?_

 _...I guess so. We wouldn't all be here if we weren't capable of..._ _ **Ugh!**_ _No way that can be true! I'd rather just sit here and die in this locker alone than kill someone! Especially one of those teenagers out there...! They're just normal people! What right do I have to take another human's life away?!_

I bury my face in my arms, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I want to go home to a home I can't remember. Anywhere is better than _here,_ that much I'm sure of...

...

 _I don't think I've ever felt anything like this before. What is this heavy feeling? ...I don't like it. I want it to go away. It hurts._

The silence overlaps my train of thought, derailing it into a quiet that eventually calms me down. I can smell the plant life from outside the locker, giving a fresh scent to the classroom despite it's decrepit state.

More moments pass. What time is it anyways? I haven't been able to tell at all since my first _"awakening"._ How long have I been hiding in this locker?

...How long have we all been trapped here in general?

I press a hand against my belly. Other than that weird mint chocolate square, I haven't eaten anything, yet I'm still not hungry. I am, however, still suffering from that headache from before, which is thankfully decreasing in intensity now.

 _Staying in here and hiding won't do anything but piss the bears off._

I don't want to go out there.

 _This is cowardice._

I don't care.

 _Do you really want to go out like this? Curled up fetal position in a locker? Or do you want to at least have a dignified death out there with the rest of them?_

I don't want to die. I don't want to have to watch _anyone else_ die.

I'm trying to ignore my mind as it urges me to get up and walk out to join the others, but I stubbornly stay rooted to the locker as if it's my only safe haven.

 _Maybe if they kill me in here, I won't have to see death coming. It can just happen and I can disappear. It's a lot better than having to watch oncoming death._

The silence keeps up as my mind trails off again...

...And that's when something slams into the locker door, cutting into it and spilling light as I shriek and curl up even lower onto the floor. I look up to see what appears to be one of the mecha drills, sticking through the entire locker and piercing the back where I'd have been if I was still standing up.

My eyes wide, I watch as the drill pulls out from the locker, causing the door to fall off of it's hinges as a result and hit the floor with a clatter that makes me stand up and jump out quickly as I look to see one of the Mechas arms sticking through the classroom door to reach the locker. I almost thought they wouldn't be able to get me with the mecha since they didn't fit through even the double doors of the gym, but it appears I'm sadly mistaken...

 _"HOW LONG ARE YA PLANNING ON SULKING IN THERE?! We have a schedule to keep to, Ugly!"_ I hear Monokid snap, causing me to jump towards the classroom doorway where I can see part of the Mecha as it pulls back it's drill and steps out of the way for me to exit. _"Trust me, I'll kill you in there if you don't get your ass moving out here! And I'll kill pretty boy too if you keep being difficult! THAT'S a promise!"_

I bite my lip. They have to include Rantaro in threats to get me to move now, huh? Well...I guess that just confirms the sad truth. We're at the mercy of this Team Danganronpa that kidnapped us.

Whoever they are...

I slump my shoulders but walk towards the doorway reluctantly, every step making my headache hurt more and more. Once I step out of the doorway though, nothing happens. Instead, Monokid seems to chaperone me as I walk to the gym, no longer speaking as we make our way to the destination. Even though everything appears calm, the silence is enough to unnerve me.

 _This is really weird. I don't like it._

As we reach the double doors (which seem to be slightly still warped from the time Monotaro had gotten stuck into it), I'm stopped when Monokid's mecha suddenly wraps it's hand around my entire top half suddenly, making me yelp until the breath in my lungs is pushed out- enough that I can just barely breathe from the pressure.

I feel air whisk past me and then the feeling of suddenly stopping, paired with the sound of gasps and shouts of horror likely due to the mecha dropping into the gym out of nowhere with me in tow. There must be an opening high above the gym that allows the mechas to land inside since they don't fit through the doorway...

 _"Finally!_ Good job, Monokid, who knows how much longer we'd be waiting if we let her decide when to show up! Welcome back, Ugly! Didja miss us?" The sound of Monotaro's voice, not within a mecha, echoes through the gym and quiets down the other teens as I try to wriggle out of the mecha's grip uselessly. Knowing how imposing the mecha is and the fact that they don't know me this round, I don't expect anyone to help me. Heck, I wouldn't help myself if I was in their shoes.

 _ **"HAHAHA,**_ _'Cause we sure didn't miss_ _ **you!"**_ Monokid barks, suddenly swinging the arm I'm wrapped in and tossing me forwards. As the hand unwraps from around me, I hit the ground in a roll, yelping when my back makes contact with a wall hard enough to knock the air out of me momentarily. As I sit up and clutch my aching ribs, the mecha suddenly jumps out of the gym towards the ceiling, four of the other bears surrounding me by the wall before Monokid suddenly reappears outside of his mecha.

"Ah! Attention all students! Pay no mind to this ugly short one here! She's flawed, damaged goods and not cute at all!" Monophanie announces to the teenagers looking on anxiously, turning and delivering a surprisingly painful kick at my shin just as I get back up on my feet that makes me yelp again. My knees buckle back down and after climbing back off all fours, I jump away from the bears a little. "And that's just because I _still_ don't like you! _Ugly!"_

 _How can she say things like that and still sound charming and casual about it?!_ I wonder, trying to ignore both my mild headache and the throbbing pain all over my body after being tossed as I get all my hair out of my face to look around.

"H-Hey, know-it-all! Didn't you say it would probably be only sixteen of us, you fuckin' moron?! Who the hell's that little chick they're torturing?!" The vulgar remark comes from that girl from last time with blonde hair and a low-cut top, her blue eyes narrowed on...

 _Rantaro!_ I think, before averting my gaze when I realize he seems to have caught something in my expression upon seeing him. The green haired male frowns slightly in thought when I take one last quick glance at him. _Okay, maybe don't look at him so much, he might get the wrong idea or he might come asking questions._

"Okie dokie~! Quiet down everyone! Shimmy down, shimmy down!" Monotaro cuts in before Rantaro or anyone else can respond to the vulgar blonde.

"Aww... No, no, no. It's _'simmer down'!"_ Monophanie corrects Monotaro, ignoring the students that audibly chatter among themselves at the sight of the bears. "But look! We aren't in the Exisals this time, so we're definitely doing it right just like Daddy said!"

"E-Exisals?" Another blonde girl, the one with white hair pins and pale pink lilac colored irises inquires, looking apprehensive. "Wh-What _are_ you guys anyways? Teddy bears that can move...?"

"Yes, Exisals! Or... the _'Ultimate Mechanical Killing Machines'!"_ Monosuke chimes in, before registering the second half of her question and turning red with irritation. "Hey, we aren't teddy bears! _We're...!"_

In a theatrical fashion, all five bears take to posing dramatically in front of everyone, still surrounding me by the wall to the point that I just decide to lean back against it since it's obvious I'm not going anywhere.

 _"The Monokubs!"_ All five bears announce, although Monodamn's voice _barely_ matches the volume of his siblings, quite nearly drowned out by his most boisterous sibling, Monokid. In fact, I'm actually not entirely sure I heard his voice at all, considering he's never spoken prior anyways...

"...'Monokubs'..." A deep male voice, coming from the very short teenage male- even shorter than myself- repeats as if the name is somehow familiar.

"And they're teddy bears that can move..." This is the voice of the serious girl that defended me before, a girl with red eyes and twin pigtails. It almost sounds as if _she_ finds them familiar too... But they never mentioned it before in the other resets? Why would they recognize them _now?_

On my end, I don't recognize anything like them at all. I've never seen any other moving teddy bears in my life, nor have I even heard the name "Monokubs" outside of this place. Not that I can remember much of my life though...

"Wait, you guys are the _Monokubs?!"_ The much more tame mouthed blonde blurts out, eyes jumping to the nearest bear to her- which just so happens to be Monodam.

"..."

"Yeeaah, Monodam's been bullied too much and he's shut off his heart from the rest of the world as a result. Right, Monodam?" Monotaro chirps, only to be met with more silence from the green bear. Sweat pellets form on Monotaro's head in horror. "N-Not even for me...?!"

"...I guess there's no doubt about it then." Rantaro's voice makes me automatically look towards him, until I'm reminded _not_ to when I find his gaze already on me. I look away, chastising myself for forgetting. "But what is your plan? Who's behind all of this? And why this ridiculous copycat routine-?"

"Aw, shut the HELL up! Your reactions are way too predictable! So BO-RING!" Monokid cuts Rantaro off straight away, strumming a new cardboard guitar obnoxiously.

"Wait... Now that you mention it, Monokid... These guys _do_ look pretty normal and boring, don't they?" Monotaro turns to look at me as well, rubbing his ear with a soft paw. "Heck, even ugly duckling here is boring looking- and so far she's the only one that's actually been entertaining to play with!"

"Tch! More like the only one that's served to be a pain in our neck! We had to start over several times because she kept messing everything up for us! _What?!_ Don't fancy your _boyfriends_ being our playthings?!" Monosuke snippily comments, adjusting his glasses as he laughs.

I frown out of sheer irritation, not even feeling embarrassment at the last part of his comment. "It was _your_ guys' fault the first and third time you reset everything, not mine," I bluntly respond.

...

"N-no, _you!"_ Monotaro blurts out, obviously seeing my point.

"Hmm...Monotaro, you've used that defense twice already and they're both in the wrong context!" Monophanie jumps in, seemingly embarrassed by the red bear.

"Okay, never mind Ugly! Have the lot of them remembered yet? Their first memory, that is," Monosuke asks, facing the other Monokubs. "They're not _acting_ like they remember."

"W-Well, we wiped their memories in the beginning, and that time we were able to even wipe Ugly's memories..." Monotaro responds much to my irritation.

 _So what, now I'm going to be known among them as "Ugly" forever?_ I think to myself, wrinkling my nose in distaste.

"Hey! Answer _my_ question! You guys are _for real_ the Monokubs?" The pink lilac eyed blonde from before demands, interrupting the bears.

"HEY, WHO'RE _YOU_ GUYS?!" Monokid demands right back, completely catching the girl off guard by his verbal retaliation and loud volume of voice

"What?" The blonde asks in confusion, visibly taken aback.

"Who are we...? What kind of a question is that? Surely you are the ones that brought us here, aren't you?" Another girl, this one pale with short olive hair that covers her left eye, asks in equal confusion. "If that's the case, you _should_ know us."

"What we mean is, do any of you have some sort of, say...an Ultimate Talent?" Monosuke jumps in, even turning to look back at me as he ignores the olive haired girl's comment.

I choose not to respond, despite knowing I have one I can't remember. Either way, I'm not about to comply with anything else these bears want from me. Monosuke scoffs at my lack of a response, but says nothing else to me.

"'Ultimate Talent'? No, I don't have one. Well...I do have a hobby that I'm pretty devoted to, but it's nothing like an Ultimate Talent," the lilac eyed girl responds, almost disappointed to admit it.

"Ah, me neither. I don't have anything of that sort," a boy beside her comments, wearing a cap that conceals part of his face.

"Me three, I don't have any Ultimate Talent," the magenta haired guy that had come in late the last reset answers in agreement.

 _So then...the only two Ultimates are Rantaro and I? How...does that make any sense? Why just us? Why not the others?_

"JUST as I figured! You guys haven't gotten your first _damn_ memory yet!" Monokid exclaims.

"Hmm. Wasn't Monophanie in charge of that?" Monosuke asks thoughtfully, prompting the bears to look at Monophanie who is now audibly snoring despite the situation.

 _Ugh...these theatrics of theirs are killing me,_ I think, before noticing Tenko at the far left discreetly urging me her way. I glance at the bears quickly as they continue their chatter, conveniently distracted by the blonde haired girl with the while hairpins who seems to notice what Tenko is trying to do.

I inch cautiously towards Tenko in hopes I don't catch the attention of any of the bears.

"The problem isn't who we are. If anything, _you lot_ are the big issue here! You all forgot your Ultimate Talents and turned into no-good, boring, high schoolers!" Monosuke complains, totally unaware as I get further away from them and closer to Tenko inch by inch.

"Forgot our talents?" The blonde asks, puzzled by the bear's words.

"Yeah! It's all because of that dumb Ultimate Hunt group. Because of them, you all forgot your memories and became different people," Monotaro elaborates, before swinging around with Monosuke and the other bears to face Tenko and I- Just as our hands are about to grab hold of one another. "Hey! We have _Ugly_ separated because she misbehaves and ruins things! Unless you'd like to have your insides squeezed out like toothpaste, _back off!"_

Tenko makes a disgusted squee of horror but doesn't pull away, prompting me to end up backing off for her own safety with a slight exhale of annoyance.

"Alright then!" The bears swing around again to face the rest of the teenagers. "First, we have to make you guys remember your _true selves!"_ Monotaro exclaims, quickly followed by Monophanie adding, "We'll _unseal_ your talents!"

"I don't really get this, but...what do you mean by, 'unseal our talents'?" Kokichi speaks up, looking surprisingly lost for being a jerk that enjoys playing with people's emotions at the worst of times...unless he's faking it to fish for more answers with his appearance?

"You guys have too many questions!" Monotaro responds to Kokichi.

"Yeah! Far too many questions!" Monophanie echoes, much to Kokichi's obvious annoyance.

"Wait, when did Monophanie wake...? Ah, nevermind, let's just get this over with. We have no use for _regular, boring, nobodies_ like you!" Monosuke explains, looking just a bit sinister.

"We're going to take out ALL of that BLANDNESS from you idiots!" Monokid shouts, visibly energized as he throws up several outfits into the air. I blink for only a moment before all five bears turn into practical tornadoes, watching each bear "tackle" a teenager one at a time- until I too am made a victim.

It's so fast that no one probably saw anything during the change, but by the time Monodam jumps off of me to go fit another student into different clothes, I'm left in a comfortable body suit of coral orange and black, covering most of my body save for my shoulders and a small portion of my ribs on either side of my waist. I've got on this thick maroon belt with some sturdy clips and a pair of interesting shoes that close with velcro rather than laces like my original sneakers. At least I won't have to worry about my skirt flipping up anymore, but there's a portion just under my armpits that's showing off a bit more of my side boob than I'm comfortable with...

Soon enough, everyone else in the gym is dressed in a unique stylish way of their own, making the bears huddle back around me to keep the other students away.

"Perfect! Now you guys all look like Ultimates! Super-duper!" Monophanie cheers, casting me a glance that I can already tell is about to be another insult. "Except for you. You just look cheap."

 _Ugh!_ I think, crossing my arms over my exposed sides as red floods my cheeks. Sadly, I don't have enough arms to both cover my sides _and_ my face.

"You bears are terrible!" A girl suddenly speaks up, one with long wavy blue hair and glasses. "Why are you singling that girl out like that? You say it's because she misbehaved, but she hasn't done a single thing yet!"

"Nothin' that you IDIOTS remember! Believe me, you ain't missing out on much! Just gross goo-goo eyes from her and her green haired pretty boy!" Monokid snaps back, making the girl and most eyes automatically turn towards Rantaro much to my humiliation.

 _Oh no...now I really hope they use a flashlight again, I don't think I can live with having to explain things to Rantaro like this...!_ I think as I avoid Rantaro's gaze again.

"Anyways! Now that you all look the part again, it's high time for your memories to be restored!" Monosuke states, making sure no one else can say anything about Rantaro or I.

"HELL YEAH! GET FUCKIN' HYPED FOR THOSE MEMORIES! And then we'll all be in the domain of the _Killing Game!"_ Monokid howls gleefully, strumming his guitar much to the visible discomfort of Monodam again.

"K-Kill...ing game...?" The blonde with the lilac pink irises echoes nervously with visible fear, only for her words to go ignored.

"And here we have it! One _'flashback light'!_ Once this light helps you remember your talents, this amazing story will _finally_ begin for real!" Monotaro explains, pulling out a familiar flashlight- although this one is notably different in that it's round and not square like the previous flashlights they'd been using.

"Wh-What is that?" The blue haired girl asks, turning pale as unease flashes in her eyes.

"There's no point in tellin' ya!" Monosuke laughs in response, turning to cast me a sharp glare. "You know the deal, _right_ Ugly? When you wake up again, you keep your mouth shut, or you can kiss _all_ of your boyfriends from the beginning _goodbye!"_

I grit my teeth and nod reluctantly, making Monosuke grin wider and turn back towards the other students once more.

 _ **"So long~! Bear well~!"**_ All five Monokubs sing in unison, just as they click the flashlight on.

 _Here we go again,_ I think as whiteness engulfs my vision for the fourth time.

* * *

"...Hey. You awake yet?"

...

"Can you hear me?"

...

I front and reach up to touch my head, feeling the world slowly spin around me.

 _Huh? Who's talking to me?_

I open my eyes slightly, only for a blur to appear in my vision. Everything is black and white at first, but eventually the blur seems to collect colors and sharpen into focus. My...head hurts. Wasn't it hurting before too?

 _...Wait, what happened before?_

"Don't worry, your vision should be fine in a few moments. You're going to be okay," the voice says again, just as my eyes finally focus on his features hovered over me, hair dangling around his handsome face. Like an idiot, I don't quite put two-and-two together when I see his green hair and fail to get a grasp on the situation I should have well been familiarized with already.

"God...?" I weakly question with a mumble, watching the guy's expression shift into surprise before he laughs in embarrassment and turns slightly red at the cheeks, appearing very uncomfortable by my comment.

"Uh, no. Sorry," he tries to regain his composure, features becoming serious again. "Although I do think it's time for you to get up. I have a couple of questions and you're the only person around for me to ask."

He stares down at me, waiting for his words to sink in as I stare back with half-lidded eyes in a daze.

...

And then, everything suddenly rushes back into my head, prompting my eyes to shut. Everything _and then_ some.

 _My name is Prairie Marble- no, that's wrong-_ _ **wrong.**_

 _My name is Prairie Marvel- Yes, that's right!_

 _I am seventeen years old- True, also right!_

 _I'm..._

With a yelp of pain, I sit up and grab my head, pressing down hard on my temples at the overwhelming burning sensation that blossoms inside my skull, giving me such terrible hot flashes that I almost feel dizzy and nauseous as a result.

I think I hear the green haired guy say something and then-

 _No._

 _These are all wrong. I'll discard them._

...

In moments the pain finally subsides and I open my eyes, which are wet. Was I crying?

"Are you okay? Hey, talk to me so I know you're alright," a familiar voice speaks again, making me lift my head to look up and find...

His eyes widen when I turn to him as if he's spotted something on my face, but I'm too busy focusing on the fact that I almost completely forgot who he was. I'd looked him in the eye moments before and hadn't realized who I was talking to.

 _Does that mean that different round flashlight nearly did it? It nearly erased my memories like the very first time? Thank goodness I still remember then!_

"Rantaro," I blurt out on impulse automatically, even though I already know he won't recognize me and that it's safer for me to keep my mouth shut.

I try not to let his suspicious stare get to me this time, taking it full swing and waiting for another response out of him. What I don't exactly count is for him to stare back at me silently, _also_ waiting for a response out of me. I wait a moment to see if I'm lucky and he does remember, but the longer the silence stretches, the more it becomes apparent that he doesn't.

"...So much for hoping you'd maybe remember this time..." I mumble under my breath sourly, letting my hopes dissipate as he stares me down. I shrink back from him before feeling something trickle down my nose slightly, making me frown and reach up in confusion.

My nose is bleeding.

I slap one of my hands over it and stand up, rushing towards the exit without waiting up for him. At this, he seems to finally snap out of his stupor.

"H-Hey, wait!" He calls, but I'm already out the door and in the hall making a beeline for the girls' bathroom and throwing myself inside before he can come out and stop me. Once the door shuts, I let out a heavy breath of relief.

 _Idiot, why did you open your mouth again?_ I think, slapping a hand against my forehead.

Rather than focus on Rantaro though, I go to one of the bathroom sinks and splash water over my face, cleaning the mess of tears and blood before grabbing some of the handy paper towels to dry my face and tilt my head back to stop the blood from dripping from my nose.

Once I get it to stop leaking, I lean over the bathroom counter and sigh to myself. If I leave the bathroom, will Rantaro still be out there? I'm sure he wants answers to what I said before... Yeah, he probably will be out there. What's the point of telling him if there's a chance I'm right about my assumptions in that they'll keep erasing everyone's memories whenever I talk? Do I really want to go through all of that again?

...Is there another way out of the bathroom?

I inspect the bathroom, the stalls, and eventually give up when I find no other outlet other than the main bathroom entrance.

"Are you ready to come back out, or should I just keep waiting here?" I hear Rantaro's voice on the other side of the door, causing me to wince a little before I take a deep breath and walk on over to the door. If he's not going to leave, I'm just gonna have to face him head on...

I turn the handle to see Rantaro with his arms crossed casually over his chest, back facing me until he turns his head when he hears the door open. It isn't until then that I realize how different his "Ultimate Outfit" is to what he'd been wearing before the Monokubs changed us.

Rantaro is wearing a loose fitted blue and navy blue striped shirt, with wide sleeves that hang just past his elbows and light brown cargo pants that tie at his ankles. When he fully turns to face me, I can see an interesting metal key chain attachment to the front of his right shoulder and a design of a ship's helm at the bottom right side of his shirt, hugging his side so it only shows a quarter of the wheel. Unlike how he was in the beginning, he has a surprising amount of piercings along the wing of his right ear, and small metal studs in both earlobes, matching the metal rings and bracelets decorating his wrist.

He looks even better than before, but...doesn't he find what he's wearing strange? Last time he recognized his own uniform and that his sleeves were missing, so wouldn't he be wondering where's his uniform? He wasn't like me, where I didn't recognize my uniform at all...

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Rantaro snaps me out of my stupor, startling me slightly.

I fumble a little, searching for the right words to answer his demand until I realize this is just way too much for me. I walked out without even having an explanation ready, how dumb of me! He's looking at me like I egged his house or something!

After unintelligible garbling, I turn to run back into the bathroom in hopes of escape. Seeing me opening the door, Rantaro's arm snaps out and slams it shut before it can open more than a crack, scaring a sharp yelp out of me. My scared yelp must have caught him off guard, because he doesn't have a chance to stop me as I slip past him and barrel straight down the hall at top speed. I plan to take a turn left at the end of the hall rather than the usual right towards the direction of the gym, hearing his footsteps further behind me that causes a rise in my panic.

 _I'm sorry, Rantaro, please just go away for a little while so I can think!_ I complain apologetically, turning the corner only to pass by the familiar face of Tenko and meeting her gaze. A guilty idea forms in my mind as I point behind me once I'm sure I have her attention.

"Help! There's a _degenerate male_ chasing me!" I blurt out in the words she normally uses, zooming past her and watching as her eyes seem to harden and flash with understanding.

"Keep going, I'll handle him, sweetheart!" She calls back as I run, making me glance over my shoulder in time to see her grab Rantaro's arm as he passes and almost effortlessly flips him over her much shorter shoulder. I turn another corner and run down the hall until I spot a door, jumping into the room and closing the door quickly and quietly behind me.

 _Oh god. Oh god, I really screwed up this time. If there isn't another flashlight reset happening in our near future, I'm pretty sure I've just given Rantaro every reason to hate me this time._

With a pitiful whine of shame, I slide down against the door until I'm curled up on the floor. Now I _really_ won't have any support in this nightmare of a place...

 _ **End**_ _ **of 1.5 - Final Take**_


	6. 1:6 - I Know Nothing

_**1.6 - I Know Nothing**_

"Uh...excuse me? Are you okay?"

"Aw, why'd you say anything? I wanted to see if she'd notice us at all!"

I open my eyes and look up, only to find two visible figures in the room standing in front of where I'm curled up. One of them looks concerned but the other is obviously amused by my groveling, and I can't help but stare long and hard when I realize it's Kokichi Oma and Kiibo.

Kokichi looks much sharper than he had in the plain black button up uniform he'd been wearing beforehand, now sporting a white outfit akin to almost a straight jacket with a familiar checkered black and white bandanna around his neck. Once I get over the fact that he's wearing the same bandanna I'd used for the _Kagome_ _,_ _Kagome_ game, my attention focuses on Kiibo next with barely concealed disbelief.

Kiibo is no longer wearing that huge trench coat or hat he sported to conceal his body, and now I know _why_ he was wearing it in the first place. From what I can see, Kiibo is wearing an almost completely metallic ensemble that appears to _look_ like a high collared uniform similar to what Kokichi wore before. Except...I don't see any skin under the metal armor at all. It's only his face that has a skin-like material, and even then it looks a bit different than what I would call "skin".

"I _knooow_ _~!_ I got him for twenty-nine ninety-nine at a Circuit City liquidation sale!" Kokichi seems to sense my disbelief, making a joke out of it instead with sparkling eyes of excitement.

"Keep your robophobic comments to yourself, I'd _never_ be sold at such a cheap price! With all my components taken into consideration, my value would at _least_ be that of _fifty-nine_ ninety-nine!" Kiibo retorts vehemently with a scowl, completely overlooking how "being sold" is pretty insulting in itself.

"So, who are you, short stack?" Kokichi ignores Kiibo to converse with me off the bat, feigning a calm disposition by folding his arms back behind his neck. "Any idea why we're all here?"

"Do you need to be so disrespectful towards everyone? Were you raised by neanderthals, or do you _really_ have no sense of tact?" Kiibo asks, facing Kokichi in further annoyance.

 _Huh. I've been through this so many times, they're actually starting to repeat topics..._

Kokichi turns to meet his gaze, looking not at all bothered by Kiibo's aggravated state. "Tact? What a strange word... Never heard it before in my life!"

"Well, allow me to educate you then! 'Tact' is a noun according to my diction database for the English language that means..."

Since they're distracted, I easily extract myself from them and inch towards one of the lockers by the door, sneaking in and closing the door quietly to hide like the pathetic wimp I am. Rantaro _definitely_ won't find me here, and if I'm lucky those two boys will think I left and ran off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. _No._ I didn't ask for a lecture, _Merriam-Webster._ Right, short sta- What the-? Hey, where'd she sneak off to?" Kokichi complains with audible disappointment, prompting me to cover my face with my hair and fall as silent and still as possible. I can only cross my fingers and pray they don't-

"Uh, not sure if it's relevant, but I never closed the locker I came out of," Kiibo points out much to my dismay, making my spine tingle as I wait for them to evidently open the locker door.

The handle pulls back to flood the locker with light as I stand there with my hair over my face, still making a desperate attempt at hiding before peeking up at the two standing outside with curious looks. After a second, Kokichi turns to Kiibo with a smile.

"Ah! I get it! Kii-boy, your uncanny valley face is what must be scaring the crap outta her!" Kokichi accuses, much to Kiibo's immediate offense.

"That's _robophobic_ _!_ I've recorded that and I'll see you in court for discrimination after we get out of here!" Kiibo retorts, although he seems to look a bit more uncertain when he turns back my way- as if there's some small part of him that might believe Kokichi a little. "Um, that's not true, right? Do I scare you? I promise the Hollywood movies have it all wrong, I'm a good robot!"

 _I can't let him think he scares me,_ _Kokichi_ _is a jerk!_ I think, moving my hair just slightly out of the way so I can talk.

"I-I'm not scared of you, Kiibo. I'm hiding from someone else..." I comment, before reaching out for the handle and gently peeling Kokichi's lax fingers from around it shyly. "So..."

Once I have Kokichi's hand off of the locker handle and push it back towards him, I pull the locker door shut again and fall silent.

...

"Hey, you know you suck at hide and seek, right?" Kokichi comments, making my eyes narrow as I hold the locker door shut when I feel him attempt to pull it open. "Come on. Out of the locker, short stack, let a master show you how it's _really_ done!"

"You're such a prick, Kokichi, buzz off!" I retort in a huff, holding fast and keeping it pulled shut as we fight over it.

"Jeez, how would you know that about me? We just met...!" He barks, before suddenly letting go and allowing the locker door to slam shut.

"Wh-What is it? Are you done terrorizing her? Don't you dare think I'll let you do anything else, you've scared her half to death at this point!" Kiibo snaps irritably, before I hear Kokichi sigh dramatically.

"Nah, I've just gotten bored of trying to pry her out. I could use some food right about now, I'm getting hungry! Not that someone like you would understand that, right? Only real people get hungry!" Kokichi laughs, causing Kiibo to groan.

"You are _insufferable,"_ Kiibo huffs, before I hear another door open from outside, causing everyone to fall silent as another person enters the room. I can practically feel my heart ready to jump out of my rib cage.

"Hey, weird question. Have either of you two seen-" I hear the voice of Rantaro cut through the silence momentarily in that nice deep pitch of his until Kokichi cuts him off to say, "Yeah, she's hiding from you in this locker! Right, short stack?"

Kokichi lays two loud reps against the door, making me yelp in surprise before slapping my hands over my mouth and feeling my face turn red in embarrassment.

"The _worst_ hide and seek player, I'm tellin' ya!" Kokichi laughs. "I was trying to reason with her, but-"

 _"You_ were scaring her even more than she already was! Because you have _no_ tact, robophobe!" Kiibo cuts him off.

"Ah- _hah!_ I knew some horrible male degenerate was terrorizing the cute little flower I saw run by! Step aside, purple boy, or face my wrath!" I hear Tenko's voice snap, right before I hear gentle knocking at the locker door.

"Hey." It's Rantaro speaking this time, and my stomach knots nervously in response. I made Tenko flip him on his backside, why doesn't he sound angrier with me? This is like the punch from before again, isn't it...? He's weird... "We just want to talk, I promise."

"Y-yeah! And hey, I'll protect you from this short degenerate here, okay? Pinkie promise!" Tenko urges as well, voice coaxing as I lean back in the locker and think over my options.

I can go out...but I can't tell them anything. At least nothing that will spoil what the stupid Monokubs want to announce. Kokichi might be harder to persuade into leaving me be, but he's just gonna have to deal with it.

"I'm not worried about _him,_ that rat is the least of my worries," I mutter, before I hear Kokichi's gasp of mock offense. It's obviously a lie, but I'm half shocked he could hear me with how low I was saying it.

"I'm not a _rat!_ You know me better than that, Mousey-mousey!" Kokichi cries out, sounding so genuinely hurt that I feel a terrible tug of guilt at my heartstrings. Logically, I know he's lying right through his teeth, especially with this new nickname he's slapped onto me, but I still can't help but feel bad. Obviously he's just trying to emotionally manipulate me, so I grit my teeth and try to ignore the feeling of guilt.

"Degenerate..." I hear Tenko growl.

"You know her?" Rantaro asks Kokichi, prompting Kiibo to quickly respond with, "No, _he doesn't!_ Do yourself a favor and ignore this one, he has a tendency to lie indiscriminately!"

 _"Pfft!_ Sure I know her, Kii-boy~! How else did she know my name when I didn't tell it to her, after all? She called me Kokichi, _riiight_ _?_ Well...that's my name! So it's obvious Mousey and I know each other! _Nee-hee-hee!_ She's so funny, hiding in there like it'll benefit her or something!" Kokichi points out, much to my dismay. I slap a hand against my face, holding in a groan of annoyance at myself.

I said his name? When?! ...Was I really so distracted I let it slip out on accident? ...Either way, being in here, there's no way I _can't_ answer Rantaro's questions. I have nowhere else to run, after all.

"Listen." My body flinches slightly at Rantaro's voice. "You can take all the time you need to answer my questions. I didn't mean to make you feel pressured before, that was a mistake on my part and I'm sorry for that," Rantaro explains, making my heart skip a beat. He doesn't hate me? He's _still_ acting as if it's not totally my own fault when it _is?_ "...Please come out."

I hear the sound of him push off from in front of the door and silence fills the dark locker, leaving me alone to make a decision. I blink curiously and evidently give in to Rantaro's coaxing, taking the handle and pushing the locker open so I can step back out. It literally takes every particle in my body to keep me from bolting away the moment I see everyone around the locker, prompting me to quietly pray for a kind god to swallow me whole into the Earth.

"Why do you look so scared out of your mind? Do you need a teddy bear to hug?" Kokichi mockingly asks with a sweet plastic smile, nearly causing me to turn right around and march back into my hiding place...until I replay his words in my head for a moment and turn to narrow my eyes on him curiously. Kokichi seems totally composed as I search his eyes and expression for any sign of him maybe remembering something.

...No. Nothing. He wasn't implying anything with those words.

 _Then again, even if he did know what I was talking about it wouldn't verify whether he remembered anything. He obviously could have seen the Monokubs earlier than usual this round._

"Nee-hee~! Enjoying the view?" Kokichi laughs as his smile becomes wider with amusement, making my cheeks flare up as I tear my gaze away from him to look at Rantaro and Tenko instead. They've both maneuvered around Kiibo and Kokichi to see me, Tenko herself giving me a patient smile when my eyes land on her.

"So...you know me and you know Kokichi here. You knew my name before I gave it to you too," Rantaro starts out with.

 _...I can answer this one, it doesn't spoil anything to tell the truth on that._

I nod after a moment's hesitation.

"In that case, can I assume you know everyone stuck in this place with us? I saw a few other people walking around when I was looking for you."

"Ah, no!" I answer, before realizing I have to say a little more than that and fluffing my hair over my jaw in embarrassment as my cheeks turn red again. "I-I only know six of you... The other eleven I haven't spoken to."

"Alright. So do you know these two then?" Rantaro asks, gesturing towards Tenko and Kiibo.

"Yeah..." I say, dropping my hair from my face now that my blush has receded just a little more. "That's Tenko Chabashira and Kiibo..."

"What...?! You _do_ know us? Incomprehensible! My memory bank doesn't hold anything about me ever meeting you!" Kiibo objects in disbelief, obviously more out of discomfort than actual disagreement. Obviously, he must have some sense that there's no other way I could have learned his name.

"T-that's because you guys got your memories erased," I explain, looking at all of them as they think hard about my words. "...Four times."

 _"What?!_ We lost our memories _four different times?!_ B-But..." Tenko stammers, looking completely baffled as she reaches up to grab at the green four star ribbon tied at the back of her head. "How long have we all even been in this place?"

At that, I cast her a sympathetic look. "I don't know that one... I haven't seen any working clocks in this place yet and every time our memories were erased, I just kept blacking out. It's like the memory erasing just didn't seem to affect me the same way it does with everyone else. F-For a while, Kokichi and Kiibo suspected that if could have been a gender thing, but I guess that was wrong," I recap what I can for them, biting my lip as look around. That information should suffice, right? I don't think I could tell them anything else, not without putting myself in danger by pissing the Monokubs off.

"So back to square one. Stuck with a wimpy unhelpful midget and no answers to our situation..." Kokichi laments, though it's clearly obvious this is one of his usual dishonest acts when he suddenly breaks into a big smile. "Oh wait, we never asked about that did we? Hey, how much do you remember anyways? Your whole _'I remember everything'_ spiel sounds a bit too good to be true if you ask me! Otherwise, tell us how we got here and who brought us here!"

"Uh, I never _said_ I knew everything... I just know what happened following our first awakening. The first time our memories got erased, it _did_ work on me. S-Subsequent ones didn't, but I couldn't tell you why," I respond timidly when Kokichi's gaze narrows on me. He's digging too much! I hate how nosy he is...!

At least I haven't had to lie about anything yet though, he's pretty keen with that. Nor has he asked anything I couldn't answer...yet.

"So you don't know anything then?" Kokichi finally asks, making me shake my head as my first lie and prompting a heavy sigh out of Kokichi. "Aw. Useless, just like I thought."

"Alright then, now that that's settled... Can you give us your name? You know us, but we unfortunately don't know you," Rantaro suggests to shut Kokichi up, crossing his arms but keeping the patient expression on his face.

"U-Um, I'm Prairie Marble... I'm an Ultimate, but I can't remember what my talent is..." I tell the group, playing with the zipper at my collar nervously when Rantaro's gaze on me makes me squirm a little until I face him to say what I've wanted to say for a while now. "S-Sorry for making Tenko flip you earlier...!"

I bow apologetically, watching Rantaro's lips quirk in a half amused smile when I do so.

"Wait, you're an Ultimate too? I'm the Ultimate Robot, also known as K1-B0! That's where my name 'Kiibo' comes from!" Kiibo states in surprise, pointing to himself with a small smile.

At this point, Kokichi jumps in as well- in fact _literally_ jumping up and down eagerly and making noises to gather everyone's attention. He obviously loves the spotlight.

"Ignore the glorified waffle iron, I'm much more interesting! I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader, Kokichi Oma! I'm the sole leader of a biiig evil organization with over ten-thousand members under my beck and call! _...Nee-hee-hee~!_ Probably, but I guess I could be lying! _Riight,_ Prairie Dog? After all, you know me well enough, don'cha?"

I can't help but give Kokichi a dry look at the sound of that stupid nickname he's given me four times. Tenko is quick to push him out of my line of sight so she can get my attention, making me bite my lip to keep from smiling as she carelessly pushes Kokichi's stunned face aside by his cheek so he flails his arms to keep his balance.

I'm really starting to take a shine to Tenko now.

"Hey, ignore him, I'm the Ultimate Aikido Master! Listen, Prairie! I outclass _all_ these degenerate males!" Tenko cheerfully states, hands up in a fighting stance while Kokichi rubs his jaw and shoots the back of her head a sour look of disdain. I can't help but smile back at her, watching her face practically glow with the attention.

"Ah, I guess it's my turn, huh? I don't exactly remember my talent either, actually..." Rantaro awkwardly explains, letting out a short nervous laugh laced with uncertainty as he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment.

I can't help but feel surprised about this on the other hand. The other flashlight device the Monokubs used managed to even erase _that_ this time?

I open my mouth before I think better and shut it instead, averting my gaze when Rantaro seems to notice my reaction. It's not my information to tell in front of the others... I can talk to him about it in private at a later time.

"How the heck do you even forget your own talent?! Don't any of you ever get antsy or feel weird when you don't practice it for a while?" Kokichi demands, looking almost offended if I didn't know any better.

"I sure do! If I don't practice even a little bit of Aikido, it drives me nuts!" Tenko agrees, not quite realizing yet that it's better to just ignore Kokichi.

"W-Well...whatever my talent is, um, I'm not quite feeling anything weird yet..." I answer them, looking back at Rantaro for his opinion and seeing him shrug in agreement with an embarrassed but easygoing smile.

"Uh, Prairie?" I look over towards Kiibo, who almost appears slightly uncomfortable. "Are...any of the other students perhaps Ultimates as well?"

I shrug, considering I'd never spoken to the others- save for Korekiyo and Gonta- to have gotten any information of the sort. Not to mention that it might not even stand to be _good_ information since Kokichi and Kiibo had stated to not have Ultimates back in the second rounds.

"I don't know. When I first met you and Kokichi, both of you were pretty sure you _weren't_ Ultimates. R-Rantaro was the only one who remembered his out of our group of six. Tenko I can't be sure of since she wasn't around at the time," I explain to Kiibo, hoping to have sate his curiosity enough that he won't ask anymore questions.

"Oh, but...who's Rantaro?" Kiibo asks, prompting Tenko and I to point Rantaro's way until the guy in question lets out a sheepish laugh.

"Whoops. I was so absorbed in the conversation I forgot to finish introducing myself... I'm sorry. My name is Rantaro Amami," he speaks up, relaxing a bit as Kiibo smiles his way.

"I see! Thank you for clearing that up. I would introduce myself, but Prairie has already done that for me," Kiibo states, casting me a similar smile that makes me blush slightly and pull my hair over my nose and mouth in embarrassment.

"Sooo, Prairie Dog! If only Rantaro knew his Ultimate before, did he happen to mention it to you? I'll bet you could clear it up for us!" Kokichi points out much to my irritation, prompting me to quickly shake my head "no" and look away with a shrug. When I flick my eyes back towards Kokichi, I'm met with that uncomfortable expressionless stare of his as if... I'm being studied. What's he doing? "...No, huh. Oh well, I should have known you'd be useless in _all_ aspects, I guess."

He turns one-hundred and eighty degrees on his heel and starts walking towards the door out of the room, surprising the lot of us. I can't help but frown a little, uncomfortable with how quickly he's dropped the subject considering how much he _loves_ to call people out on lies. Does that mean he believed me...? I got away with lying to him twice in one conversation?

"H-Hey! Where do you think you're going, degenerate?" Tenko sputters, causing Kokichi to wave a hand back at us without another glance.

"To find more interesting people than you lot. _Someone_ has to have more information than that little wimp!" Kokichi exclaims, causing Tenko's eyes to flash in warning. "Really, what is she? Seventeen, or seven?"

Before any of us can stop her, Tenko is a human bullet running after Kokichi, making the violet haired boy laugh as he runs away- looking more amused than he probably should for instigating the chase. If Tenko gets her hands on him, he's as good as chopped liver.

"Ah! I-I'm going after them to make sure Tenko doesn't do anything irrational. Please excuse me! And thank you both for your time!" Kiibo gives Rantaro and I a full on ninety degree respectful bow before he turns to run after the other two- footfalls heavy as the metal of his body clanks out of the room and down the hall with surprising speed. "P-Please don't hurt him, Tenko!"

Just like that, I find myself alone with Rantaro, causing an uncomfortable silence to settle between us. Curious, I peek up at him to see if he's in as much discomfort as I am, but quickly regret my actions when I find him staring at me with a studious frown I can't help but interpret as disapproval. I babble incoherently at this, feeling my face turn red as his expression shifts into surprise. Unable to handle his gaze, I gather my hair over my entire face.

"I-I'm _sorry...!_ Please don't be upset with me, I just didn't want to tell them your Ultimate when it's not my information to share...!" I whimper meekly, causing Rantaro to laugh a little in surprise.

"No, that's okay. I'm not mad at all, don't worry. That's actually very thoughtful of you and I appreciate the caution," Rantaro reassures me, taking a step closer now that he seems to deem me calm enough that I won't bolt away. "But since we're alone now, do you mind telling me what it is?"

I brush my hair out of my face to look up at him, smiling a little. "You're the Ultimate Adventurer."

Rantaro nods in understanding and gives it a thought before smiling back at me in embarrassment. "For a moment there, I was worried it'd be something terrible. Like...I don't know. The Ultimate Murderous Fiend or something," he admits, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away with a nervous laugh.

I can't help but snicker at that, and Rantaro looks back at me in confusion until I show him my left shoulder, which I can now see has a curious black star tattooed just over the stitched up gash on my bicep (likely the work of the Monokubs after the last reset).

"I got hurt three times in the same place and you insisted on cleaning and dressing my injury the same three times. I hate to break it to you, but I think you're probably the furthest thing from the Ultimate Murderous Fiend I could think of," I explain simply, prompting a far more genuine smile to form on his face as his green eyes spark with something unidentifiable.

"Anyways...I suppose we ought to go look around for the others in that case, shouldn't we?" Rantaro inquires, though I can tell it's a rhetorical question since what else _can_ we do? "Want to tag along with me, Prairie?"

My heart lurches, nearly ready to jump straight into his hand when he holds it out for me to take. Just as I lift my hand to confirm and join him, someone red appears right between us, causing both Rantaro and I to jump back a step from each other in surprise as Monotaro clears his voice very obviously.

"A bear...?" Rantaro asks out loud, though Monotaro doesn't go to answer his confusion at all.

"Sorry, not sorry! But I'm going to be borrowing _Ugly_ for the remainder of all introductions! Besides, you two are together too much! You're like _magnets!"_ Monotaro exclaims, visibly annoyed as he taps his foot and tosses a four pointed shuriken up and down expectantly.

"...Who?" Rantaro inquires, pointing at himself in confusion. Monotaro corrects him by throwing the pointed star my way, making me yelp when it nearly cuts my cheek as it hits the wall. Rantaro immediately moves to get to me at the noise I make, but Monotaro quickly throws a star his way- this time actually cutting _his_ cheek and making him step back and touch his face to inspect the damage.

"Keep your hands to yourself, this is a PG school with a strict policy against public displays of affection!" Monotaro spits at Rantaro, before turning to face me and kicking my foot impatiently so I can start walking in the opposite direction. "Now mosey on somewhere else, pretty boy! If you follow us, you can kiss Ugly goodbye!"

"I-I'll be fine, don't worry about me," I reassure Rantaro as I'm basically herded away, but I can tell my words fall on Deaf ears since Rantaro is left with an expression of obvious discomfort. When we're far enough, I look down at Monotaro and open my mouth to ask where we're going, but evidently close it in the end. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough...

"Good! The fact that you know when to shut up is a great quality!" Monotaro brightly chirps, continuing to lead me off. "We're going to greet the other students you've yet to meet, and re-meet your other two boyfriends from your time before. We're chaperoning you so you don't spoil anything yet, 'cause it would suck to have to reset everything _again."_

I cross my arms but stay quiet, thinking if I speak up when he's made it obviously clear he would prefer me not to speak, I'll just get reprimanded. Much to my surprise after quite a while, Monotaro eventually lets out a groan of disapproval.

"Don't just stay silent, _say_ something! You make me feel like I'm walking with a wall!" Monotaro suddenly complains, walking backwards so he can look at me and shake a fist in my direction.

"Eh? I thought you didn't want me to talk...!" I retort in confusion, brow furrowing as Monotaro turns away again when we reach one of the hallways, where we can see a blue haired girl quietly examining a dragon-like statue that looks _very_ out of place in this setting.

"Forget it! Go introduce yourself so we can move on to the next person!" Monotaro huffs, before pointing at me in warning. "No funny business either! They'll get their questions answered when us Monokubs decide! Not you, _Ugly!_ Go in, go out, and one of the other kubs will take you to the next Ultimate!"

Without so much as a chance to ask anything else, Monotaro suddenly bounds out of sight, leaving me to spin around a little before throwing my arms up in mild exasperation. Obviously I have no choice, do I? Well...at least the first one I'm meeting is a girl.

 _Hm... Now that I think about it, she's one of the girls that was upset over the fact that the Monokubs were picking on me specifically. That was very nice of her to speak up, but I'm glad the bears didn't try punishing her or the other two girls that had spoken up._

"Um... Hello? Can I ask who you might be?" I speak up timidly, already feeling my nerves trying to get the better of me.

"...Hmm..." The girl hums, still staring intently at the statue.

 _...? Can she not hear me?_

"Hello?" I try again, even reaching out to poke her arm curiously in case she's maybe Deaf. She hums again, prompting me to frown slightly and puff my cheeks with realization. "Oh."

I stare down at her for a moment before shrugging and deciding to move on. If she's just gonna ignore me, then I guess there's no point in talking to her.

 _She's obviously not as nice as I thought if she's ignoring me like this,_ I decide as I start striding away to spend my time on someone who isn't going to completely _waste_ it.

"Oh! Y-You're leaving?" I hear her speak up.

I almost stop and turn around, but in the end I just keep walking away and hum out loud the same way she had. Basically pretending I can't hear her like she'd done to me. If she was interested in speaking to me, she shouldn't have ignored me in the first place!

 _Rantaro would probably tell me I'm above holding little grudges like these...but then again, Rantaro isn't here right now, is he? No. He's not. No thanks to the "teddy bear brigade"._

Thankfully, the girl doesn't try to catch up with me. I'm not sure I'd be able to hold out on my grudge if she confronted me head on, that would just be too much for me.

For now, I'm just going to have to find another Ultimate and introduce myself...

 ** _End of 1.6 - I Know Nothing_**


	7. 1:7 - Strikes

_**1.7 - Strikes**_

I reach a set of stairs and stop, looking around my current surroundings. Hmm... Didn't Monotaro say another Monokub would basically escort me to the next Ultimate? No one else has shown up yet...

"Aww, a lost puppy! Did you get separated from your master? Hey, if you let me slap a leash around your neck, _I'll_ be you new master!"

I yelp and spin around, taking a step back despite registering the snickering individual to be Kokichi Oma. My eyes narrow despite my discomfort. How did he manage to sneak up on me? I was just looking around a second ago!

"You're such a prick... What do you want?" I ask, trying to be at least _somewhat_ confident so he doesn't think he can steamroll over me. "I thought you were going to find more interesting people."

"...Ah! I see, I see," Kokichi exclaims, making me frown. He's not going to answer my question, is he? "You know what you remind me of now that I think about it? One of those teeny-tiny little teacup chihuahua dogs that bark and spit as ferociously as they can! It's actually adorable you think you can intimidate me, really~! And you know what else is just _adorable?"_

Kokichi grins and reaches over to pinch my cheek hard enough I'm sure it's gonna leave a red mark. It's not actually painful or anything...unless we're talking about my pride. Kokichi practically has my pride tied to a paddle by an elastic string...

 _"You,_ Prairie Dog!" He laughs, until I aggressively yank my face from his torturous pinching fingers. He doesn't even seem the least bit uneasy when I give him a look of unadulterated disgust. _"Nee-hee-hee~!"_

"C-Can't you go bug someone else? I don't want to deal with you right now," I complain, rubbing my cheek and stepping back again. To my annoyance, he proceeds to take a step closer in response and I can't help but roll my eyes as I bitterly mutter, _"Every time...!"_

"So have you always been as bad of a liar as you are now, Prairie Dog? You know, you could have done better than what you did before... Or you could have just told the truth, I guess. Good little girls don't lie, right?" Kokichi comments, his grin becoming somewhat sinister at this point.

I swallow thickly, trying not to let him intimidate me too much.

"I-I'm seventeen, don't judge me by my looks. You're not exactly _Rambo_ or anything either, noodle arms," I shoot back as I take another step back and feel the rails to the stairs hit the small of my back.

"Aw, I could cry, that _really_ hurts my feelings... You're so mean! I just want to befriend you in my own little unique way, but you're treating me like I'm rabid! You really think I'm _that_ bad, don't you?" Kokichi asks as water collects at the corners of his eyes.

Had this been the first time, I'd probably have made the same mistake I did during our initial meeting.

"...You chased me around and made fun of me when we first met because you thought it was funny to play with my insecurities around boys," I deadpan, staring him straight in the eye without a stutter as I slowly grow more and more tired of his presence.

Typical to his nature, Kokichi snorts with laughter at the revelation and his tears immediately dissolve like magic. When he looks back up at me, he's grinning again and proudly places his hands on his hips.

"Ah, yeah, that sounds like me. Also, thanks for telling me you're insecure around boys! That's great information!" Kokichi says, grinning wider when I feel my face go pale with realization at the fact. I shouldn't have said anything at all...! _Stupid me!_ "You ought to be more careful about the information you drop, Prairie Dog!"

"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't be so _nosy._ E-Ever thought of that?" I retort, moving along the border of the rails towards the stairs since it's obvious by now that none of the Monokubs are about to jump in anytime soon.

 _Psh_ _. They get in my business when I'm with someone normal like Rantaro, but when I'm actively being grilled for answers by_ _Kokichi_ _, they're nowhere to be found, huh?_ I think, flinching violently when Kokichi slaps a hand on the stair rail to block my way with his arm.

"Ooo, jumpy are we?" Kokichi chuckles. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you...probably."

"For the last time, what do you want?" I demand, voice suddenly much sharper than I intend it to be if only for my temper suddenly flaring to life. Kokichi stares me in the eye with a bit of a smirk at my sudden change in attitude, looking completely at ease.

"I want to know why we're all here. I know you of _all_ people should have that answer, so don't bother playing dumb about it like you did with the Ultimate Nobody and his talent back there," Kokichi says as he looks down and examines the nails of his free hand casually, leaning on the rail as if he has all the time in the world.

"U-Um..." I stutter, less because I'm nervous this time and more because I'm mentally searching for some sort of excuse. I look back and around in hopes that a colorful bear will appear to throw out the usual _"spoiler warning"_ and drag me away, but no one appears.

 _I can't tell him anything. What if the_ _Monokubs_ _do what they did last time? What if I'm not as lucky as I was during the last punishment game?_

"Aw, bummer. No one around to save you, huh?" Kokichi observes when he notices my wandering eyes, even looking around with me in mock curiosity. "I'll leave you alone if you just tell me, Prairie Dog~"

"...You'll also be _dead_ if I just tell you..." I comment bitterly under my breath.

"What was that?" Kokichi asks, leaning a bit closer with an expression of curiosity.

"I said I _can't_ tell you! Last time I almost got gutted because I opened my mouth and said too much," I finally snap at him. "I'm not going through that again just so I can sate your curiosity."

"Aw, but who's gonna catch you telling me here? I don't see anybody around, do you?" Kokichi inquires cheekily with a shrug. "It's just you and me... Together... _Alone..."_

 _...Why the heck does he have to say it like that? Is he some kind of pervert? I hope_ _Tenko_ _flips him on his backside one day too,_ I think to myself, feeling my cheeks warm to a red color of shame as I grab my hair and pull it over my cheeks with an irritable frown his way.

He takes an agonizing step closer so we're less than a foot away from one another, causing me to press back against the border and rails that leads down to the stairwell so there's still space between us. What's he trying to pull now?

"After all..." He grins a nerve wracking dark smile, and that's when I feel something cold and thin press against my bare ribs at the exposed slit of my suit.

My heart gives one violent thud inside my rib cage at his next words.

 **"I'd be happy to gut you myself if you don't say anything."**

 _...A knife,_ I register in my mind, feeling my blood drain from my face. _The_ _Monokubs_ _haven't even announced the killing game yet in this round and I'm already having my life threatened by another Ultimate. Will he do it?_

I keep my mouth shut this time, staring back at him as he himself stares back at me. The only thing keeping me quiet is morbid curiosity at this point, playing with the idea of what that blade pressing against my skin curiously can possibly do. Kokichi is prodding at my ribs with the sharp blade, the side of the knife, and the uncomfortably pointed tip, causing shivers of anxiety across my skin.

...

The longer I wait for it to happen, the more thinking about it scares me. No one would know he did it here. He could probably get away with it... Right now, nobody knows each other enough to keep tabs on "who was where" or "what is the motive".

 _And then_ _Kokichi_ _would "graduate" for killing without getting caught while the others die for not catching the correct murderer._

At least that's the worst case scenario...if Kokichi isn't bluffing.

"...Aw, I'm getting _bored!"_ Kokichi suddenly groans after a moment, before surprising me by flicking what I see is a rather expensive looking switchblade with a pair of red and white dice charms at the end of it shut.

I frown at the sight of the dice, feeling a strange pull in the back of my mind. Have I seen those somewhere before?

He takes a step back from me and turns away, looking down the hall and straightening up his arms and back until I hear an audible crack that makes him hum in satisfaction. "And I'm hungry. Where can I find grub in this place anyways?"

I don't answer that, and even if I knew where there was food, I _still_ wouldn't tell him where it was after what he just pulled. Rather, I scramble to the stairwell quickly and descend down the stairs, almost proud of the backbone it took me to resist saying anything to Kokichi until I hear him call down to me.

"Talk to you later, Prairie Dog! Let me know when you want that _leash_ I was talking about~!" I hear the prick call down cheerfully, only motivating me to speed up as I shout back up. "In your dreams, you _jerk!_ I hate you and you're terrible!"

Midst the laughter I hear from him at the top of the stairs, I keep scurrying away until I'm at the bottom, opening the first door on the floor that I see and jumping in so I can close it behind me. With that, I blow out a sigh of relief and lean against the door. Stupid violet creep...

"Hey. You're not about to have an anxiety attack or anything, are you?"

The deep voice that greets me this time is deeper than Rantaro's, but being used to finding comfort in Rantaro's voice, I relax a smidgen and lift my head to see a much shorter teenage guy than even myself standing in the room, sitting atop a pool table and playing with what looks to be a chain attached to his left ankle in a cuff similar to what maybe a prisoner might wear. The fact that his outfit is a bit rebellious, what with his leather jacket, horned beanie, and blue and black striped pants doesn't help the matter either.

"N-No, I'm okay. I just had to get away from this annoying guy," I explain, causing the teen in the beanie to laugh a little. Somehow, I can't help but cock my head slightly to the side in confusion. What's so funny?

"I sincerely doubt you'll be able to run from him very far, considering our collective predicament," the guy answers my confusion, looking composed even after I purse my lips in understanding and avert my gaze. Right, we're all trapped here. Rantaro mentioned as much before... "Name's Ryoma Hoshi. I used to be the Ultimate Tennis Pro, but that's title I bore from another time altogether. After I went to jail, I moved on from tennis for the most part, but I won't get into that here."

 _J-Jail?!_ I think, shrinking back a little but trying not to appear to nervous about the new information. I guess my observations were correct in the end, but...seriously? _Jail?_

"Sorry if that makes you nervous. You seem like a nice girl, but I'm a bad crowd to be hanging around if you're looking to make friends. Got a name?" He asks, completely brushing his own words off as he pulls away a small white paper stick or something of the sorts from his lips.

Still somewhat anxious, I manage to introduce myself with only a slight stutter. "I-I'm Prairie Marble, but...I can't remember my Ultimate..." I explain, mildly embarrassed by my meek tone of voice as I hear myself talk. It isn't until I hear the words from my mouth that prompts my nerves to dissolve and turn into worry. "Actually, I don't remember anything about myself at all."

Ryoma frowns and cocks his head to the side, as if trying to get a better look at me. After a moment, he sticks the paper stick back between his lips and hops off the billiards table to approach me, hands shoved in his pocket. Once he's close enough, he stops and gives me a studious once-over that's enough to tint my face pink until I can't help but cover my face in embarrassment.

"Prairie...Marble," Ryoma repeats thoughtfully, as if testing the name, pulling the stick from his lips again.

...

"Ah. Okay. I know who you are," he says after a moment, readjusting his beanie and smiling just a smidgen as I wait for my blush to recede enough to look him in the eye again. At this point, the idea of someone knowing who I am- even if they did come from prison- takes precedence over my nervousness.

"Really?" I ask somewhat hopeful.

"Yeah. You're 'Perfect Blitz', the Ultimate Rock Climber," Ryoma explains, much to my surprise.

I'm a rock climber? No... I'm the _Ultimate_ Rock Climber?! Someone as shy and small as _me?_ He's got to be joking or something, right? ...Then again, he doesn't look like the type to joke around in that way.

"I've seen you featured in sports magazines alongside me. You climb the most impossible structures without suspensions, only using pouches of chalk dust. People around the world call you a walking legend practically... You really don't remember?"

I shake my head solemnly, but smile when I look back at him.

"It's good I at least know now though. Maybe I'll remember with time, right?" I say before feeling my anxiety return upon noting the way Ryoma stares at me critically, prompting me to squirm under his gaze a little bit. Heck, he's almost not even _blinking...!_ "W-What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"Mm... Not 'wrong', per say. Maybe it was just the magazines being over dramatic with their articles as usual, but I recall reading that you were a rather aggressive individual. Meeting you face to face, you're the total opposite," Ryoma states, prompting me to squirm at the thought.

"Aggressive...?" I feel my cheeks burn as I picture myself as aggressive, only to shiver uncomfortably. "I might get impatient and act irrational sometimes, but I fold too easily to others. I'm a walking doormat..."

"Heh. Better than being someone like me at least, believe me. I'm a lost cause after what I did with _my_ talent... I killed people. Killing- even bad guys- changes a person and it changes the people around them," Ryoma admits, prompting me to fold my arms and look away. The memory of why we're all here resurfaces in my mind, much to my disappointment.

"How is what I am any better? I'm the perfect victim. I'll probably be the first one that gets murdered in this nightmare of a place..." I sigh in disappointment.

"...What? Why would you be murdered here?" Ryoma suddenly asks, visibly confused by my statement as I quietly scold myself for saying too much.

"SHUT your _HELL HOLE!"_ The boisterous shout of Monokid makes me flinch as he suddenly appears in the room, snapping a guitar in half on his knee and throwing it on the ground hard...even though it's very obviously still a guitar made of cardboard. The pieces don't even make the slight slapping noise like they had the last time he'd done this in the gym, instead half bouncing with delicate thuds against the carpet.

...

"Just _pretend_ it made a loud sound!" Monokid growls, before facing me specifically. "And _you!_ We told your ugly butt not to open your mouth! THAT'S STRIKE ONE! Three strikes and we pop your head off like the cork of a champagne bottle, little bastard! Now SCRAM! Get your ugly behind moving!"

I stare at Monokid for a moment, but decide not to bring up what happened with Kokichi in the end. Finding the door handle out of the room behind me, I give the still visibly confused Ryoma a pathetic wave and leave the game room as he offers me a wave back.

Monokid collects the pieces of his guitar before scurrying after me, causing me to raise an eyebrow as he follows me to the next door. As if sensing my gaze, Monokid answers, "Littering's against the rules!"

 _Huh... That's a surprisingly subdued answer for being the most energetic of the pack. I'd think he'd be as much of a troublemaker as maybe Kokichi, except ten times more irritating and substantially less clever._

"Now! Get your ass in there and then get your ass OUT!" Monokid snaps, before disappearing like Monotaro had before. Letting my eyes flick around to see if anybody else is in the vicinity, I eventually just give up and enter the room. I'm sure Monokid would have led me to an Ultimate in the hall if there was one here.

As I walk into the room, the scent of old books hit my nose instantly- mixed with enough dust that I can't help but sneeze into the bend of my arm as a result. It appears I've entered a library...a dusty one at that. Why isn't this place

Stepping in further to examine the place, I eventually spot a girl with pigtails standing by a world globe. Seems like she noticed my arrival with my sneeze, and now looks from me to the globe and back cautiously. I immediately recognize her as one of the three girls that spoke up during the _Kagome, Kagome_ games the Monokubs put me through, but with that recognition, I can't help but notice how she seems less approachable than she had before.

 _Well, the last girl I met ignored me completely. I don't exactly have high hopes for this girl. So far, only the people I've met from before and Ryoma are the only pleasant people I've spoken to...minus Kokichi._

I walk over to the girl, who to her credit makes eye contact with me before looking off to the side. She doesn't seem like a shy person... Maybe she's just socially awkward. I should probably just be blunt about it, considering Monokid has made it clear that chit-chat should be a minimum.

Feeling a little rebellious by the Monokubs constant bullying, I start to speak.

"I have to introduce myself to all the other Ultimates or the Monokubs are going to apparently gut me and pop my head off," I say off the bat, watching as her eyes flick back towards mine with a rather dark frown.

"...Is that supposed to be a joke?" She asks with this apathetic tone to her voice, looking almost ready to punch me.

"No. They already tried to kill me before because-" I start, before something hard hits my shin, the same shin that's already been abused several times courtesy of the Monokubs. As a result, I don't even have to guess who's the culprit of this attack.

"That's _strike two!_ One more and we dismember your ugly body and stuff you in an oven!" Monophanie chirps. "You're supposed to introduce yourself, let _them_ introduce themselves, and then leave! How is that difficult for you to understand, Ugly?"

After that cheerful delivery, Monophanie trots away on swift feet, a pink blur my eyes are unable to track since they've started to water. Not just from only the pain either.

The other girl quietly watches me as I straighten up and face her, unable to meet her red eyes.

"...I'm Prairie Marble. The Ultimate Rock Climber."

...

I don't know if it's because she takes pity in my situation, but she surprisingly responds. This time, all the hostility in her tone of voice has dissipated, returning to a tone of apathy that betrays none of her true emotions.

"Maki Harukawa. Ultimate Child Caregiver," she introduces herself as well before silence falls on the two of us.

 _Well, introduction over,_ I think as I turn away to leave. I can feel her gaze follow me until I'm out of the library, allowing the door to slam shut behind me.

I manage to wipe one eye clear of tears by the time the green Monokub strolls into view. Instead of saying anything rude or mean, he actually waits until I clear my other eye, standing patiently at my side until I take a deep breath and nod to him that I'm ready to go.

With that, Monodam leads me off to the next Ultimate without another word.

 ** _End of 1.7 - Strikes_**


	8. 1:8 - Strange Ultimates

_**1.8 - Strange Ultimates**_

Monodam ends up leading me back to the stairs, the two of us reaching the top with a sigh on my part. Thank _god_ Kokichi isn't up here anymore... Then again, I doubt he's the type to wait for anybody- even if waiting means pissing somebody off.

As Monodam and I walk through the hallway, I can't help but wait for the other shoe to drop. This monokub is so far the most quiet of the lot. I don't even recall him speaking up _once..._

"U-Um...aren't you going to pick on me or chastise me too?" I'm unable to resist asking, despite knowing how stupid of a question it is.

Monodam looks at me, shrinks back from my questioning gaze, and ultimately says nothing as he looks back towards my next destination. Huh. I guess that's a no then...

We eventually come to a stop and Monodam turns to face me as I look at the doors before us. So the next Ultimate is in here, huh?

I look back towards the quiet monokub only to find him already gone, prompting a soft sigh out of me. He really _is_ damaged goods like Monotaro said... Whatever. He's still a monokub and one of the bears keeping us trapped in here for a killing game.

I push open the doors and peer inside curiously, feeling my eyebrows raise slightly at the sight. It's a dining room- a _big_ one at that. Obviously designed to fit many people by the looks of it.

 _Actually...designed to fit sixteen people. Exactly,_ I find myself thinking as I visualize the people I'd seen before in the gym and try to mentally fit them around the table. _No room for the seventeenth victim, huh?_

Just as a melancholic feeling starts to settle in my stomach however...

 _"Prairie!_ Are you okay? I'm sorry I left you with that green degenerate before, he didn't try anything against you, did he?!" Tenko inquires, bouncing eagerly on her heels from a spot across the room past the dining table and waving her arm so I see her. Any bad feelings attempting to boil to the surface fades away as I smile her way and approach her.

"N-No, Rantaro is nice! He didn't do anything, don't worry. Did you manage to get at least one hit on Kokichi though? I don't like him," I ask, only slightly resisting a smile at the thought of Tenko completely flipping Kokichi on his backside like a rag doll.

"Aren't you a gem!" Tenko laughs, before wrinkling her nose and sighing in disappointment. "He was pretty fast and managed to hide from me before I could... Next time he won't get away though, I promise! I'll pop his skinny bones like twigs to your heart's content!"

I grin wider and nod in satisfaction, only to hear an exaggerated sigh from behind her that exudes pure laziness. Confused, I look around her and blink in surprise when I see that red haired girl from the gym before- the one that would call things a pain in that really lazy slow voice.

"Nyeeh...that sounds like a pain. Why don't you just ignore him? It takes less effort, if you ask me," the red head comments, playing with her witch's hat like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"...I guess you haven't met him yet. I suggest you treasure these moments while you have them. You'll miss it later when you finally encounter the violet menace. Oh, he also has a knife by the way so...be careful," I inform the girl, before approaching her after taking Tenko's hand to bring her with me. I think I hear Tenko squee quietly at the action, but I keep my gaze focused on the other girl. "By the way, I'm Prairie Marble. The Ultimate Rock Climber."

Tenko brightens at this, but there's something in her eyes that looks like she's trying to remember something. "Oh! You remembered your talent? Rock climbing sounds amazing, Prairie! Hm...the Ultimate Rock Climber..."

I give her a sheepish grin as she thinks, turning slightly red at the cheeks. "Uh, no, I didn't actually _remember_ per say...but this other Ultimate, Ryoma Hoshi, told me he recognized me from a sports magazine he was also featured in. Apparently I'm supposedly some sort of famous rock climber known as 'Perfect Blitz'? I don't remember, so-" I'm cut off when Tenko gasps suddenly, looking me up and down with brand new eyes.

"Oh. My. _GOD!_ OH MY GOD! How could I not have recognized you until now?! You're a walking legend! You're the queen of daredevils! You break records with your speed and stamina! You do all your climbing _freehand!_ Which is both terrifying and cool all at the same time!" Tenko gushes uncontrollably, right before pulling me into a huge hug. "Aah~! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you face to face, you're so cool!"

 _"_ You'rePerfect Blitz? Now I _know_ we're total opposites..." The red haired girl laughs a little and smiles lazily. "Although, I'll admit your bravery at climbing without suspension _is_ pretty cool... You're the staple figure for inspiration around the world. If it wasn't for seeing you breaking records like you do, I'd never have found my calling in the world of magic..."

The girl holds out her hand. "I'm Himiko Yumeno. The Ultimate Mage- or as the public prefers to wrongly call me- The Ultimate Magician," she says as I shake her hand and return her smile, pulling out of Tenko's hug but not releasing her hand.

 _The Ultimate Mage... Well, if that's what she wants to be called,_ I think cheerfully, mood much brighter than it had been previously.

"That's pretty cool! All I do is climb...if you ask me, mine sounds sorta lackluster in comparison to Neo-Aikido or magic..." I say, feeling my cheeks turn a little red at the looks on the girls' faces.

"Man, you really _did_ forget everything... We did already mention you're a walking legend, right?" Himiko asks, smiling even more. "I read you were way more of a bad girl though... I mean, you're dressed the part, but you don't seem like a bitch at all."

I squeak in horror at her language, feeling my cheeks burn enough that I have to cover my face with my hair. "S-So profane...!"

Tenko giggles, messing the top of my hair before quickly smoothing it out and fixing my hair bow. "You're so cute! Himiko is totally right! ...Wait, are you two the same height?"

Himiko and I trade curious glances before we stand back to back from one another, hands brushing as I remove my bow and she removes her hat. Tenko gives us critical looks and then claps her hands in satisfaction.

"A- _ha!_ Himiko's taller, but only by an inch! How tall do you two measure anyways?" Tenko asks, completely taken by the two of us.

"I can't remember..." I sheepishly answer, closely followed by Himiko answering, "Well, you're probably four foot ten since I'm four foot eleven."

My eyes bug out slightly at this revelation.

 _I'm_ that _short...?! Well, at least I'm not Ryoma's stature. Then again...maybe being short is a blessing? Ryoma is pretty threatening to have been sent to jail for killing some bad guys. Himiko is a cool magician and I'm apparently a rock climbing legend. I guess being short's not too bad..._

"Ah, I should probably keep going and meeting the other Ultimates. The monokubs have pretty much demanded I go around alone with them escorting. Nice talking to you two," I say, causing Tenko to pout and deflate a little.

"Aw, you really have to go? Well, I'll see you later then, Prairie! If you're in trouble, just scream for me and I'll come running no matter where I am!" Tenko proudly states, giving me one last wave as I nod and leave the dining hall.

"Took ya long enough! Let's get movin', I've got calculations I'm behind in that I need to get back to as soon as possible!" Monosuke exclaims as I meet him outside, turning to lead me off towards the next place.

"S-Sorry!" I instinctively apologize as I speed walk to try and keep up with his brisk pace. For being a very tiny stuffed robot bear, he can walk _really_ fast...!

I don't see anyone on our way, making my eyes flick around to study the overgrown plants. It sort of gives this place a peaceful, albeit ominous atmosphere. I sidestep a large root in my path, frowning a little. That's a bit hazardous...what if someone trips and hurts themselves?

Remembering Kokichi and his knife, I stop dead in my tracks at an awful image that pops up in my mind.

 _I don't like him, but I don't want him to hurt himself either!_ I think just as Monosuke finally notices I'm not following and backtracks to where I'm looking at the large out-of-place root.

"You really want that _third_ strike, huh?" He growls impatiently, to which I look at him to tell him my thoughts.

"Wouldn't it suck if someone accidentally killed themselves tripping on this before everything kicks into gear?" I comment, watching as Monosuke pauses in thought. He looks from the root to me and back until he snorts in mock amusement.

To my surprise, since I have no clue where he could have gotten it from, Monosuke tosses me what looks to be a jagged razor sharp survival knife at my feet- brand new at that.

"Fine! Deal with it yourself if you're so concerned about those strangers!" Monosuke huffs. Despite that, I take the knife and kneel down to the root.

It takes a bit of work to cut that part of the plant out of the ground, but I eventually get it done. Standing up with the root fragment and the blade, I toss the root into a nearby waste bin since littering isn't allowed and try to give Monosuke the knife back. At this, Monosuke instead tosses me something else I fumble to catch- before grabbing it properly and realizing it's a blade sheath for the knife he gave me.

"Keep it! Someone as ugly as you might need it for protection next time someone threatens you for information!" Monosuke laughs loudly, much to my irritation and disbelief.

"You were _watching?_ W-Why didn't you do anything then? Why didn't you try and stop him?!" I demand, feeling my temper rise as I clutch the knife and sheath harder in my grip when Monosuke gives me his back and hums in thought.

"We wanted to see if a little pressure would tempt you to drop spoilers! And it didn't!" Monosuke pauses for a beat, and then swings around to face me again with visible irritation. _"Instead,_ your ugly dumbass decided to spoil when you _weren't_ being grilled to! Nearly _twice!_ What is _wrong_ with you?!"

Monosuke turns back around to lead, leaving me to figure out what to do with the knife he's burdened me with.

"So dumb...even worried the purple brat that threatened you might trip and stab himself with his dumb knife..." Monosuke calls me out on my actions, prompting my cheeks to burn a sheepish red shade as I catch up with him and sheath the blade.

I don't exactly want to keep the infernal thing, but Monosuke's made it clear he won't be taking it back anytime. It'd be a lot worse if I just left it lying around and someone else picked it up though, so I take the burden and stick it in a convenient strap at my hip where my belt can hold it. I can probably hide it later so no one else can use it if they get any ideas following the killing game announcement...

Monosuke stops us by a pair of double doors, pointing at them. "Now get in there and introduce yourself on the double, Ugly!" He orders, bounding away swiftly as I proceed to enter.

 _A...a warehouse? Wait, I thought this place was supposed to be a school! Why is there a warehouse here?! And why is it so massive?!_

"HEY, MIDGET!"

I jump about a foot in the air in surprise, a yelp flying out of me as I turn to look at the aggressive speaker I assume is speaking to me. I mean, how many other short people are here right now anyways?

"Yeah, _you!"_ A familiar blonde girl with a pink uniform that I recognize _still_ has a low cut (crudely low) at the bust waves me over, making me approach only with slight apprehension. Why'd she feel the need to call me a "midget" anyhow?

Adjusting the goggles on her head, she points up at one of the higher shelves we're standing by, making me follow it up until my neck is craning up to see the entirety of the stock.

"Alright, Imma hoist your ass up so you can find me something up there, got it?! Specifically, they're these little paper patches the size of dimes with cute drawings on them! Find me that shit and you'll have the pleasure of telling the world you have the beautiful, girl genius- Miu Iruma the Ultimate Inventor's- love and praise!" The blonde announces with a wide grin, much to my disbelief.

"S-So much profanity..." I shiver in horror with a mutter before evidently sighing in confirmation and watching her eyes sparkle with glee. "Fine, I'll look for it for you, I guess."

 _I mean, what else am I supposed to be doing anyways? Considering I've already been escorted by most of the monokubs, I'm probably gonna see Monophanie next. Honestly, I'd much rather not... She's the worst out of all of them!_

Miu yips in excitement and then leans over to hoist me up, making me grab onto the shelf of the next level and easily hoist myself up. I'm small enough to crouch at the edge to look in, but I think what surprises me more than that is my muscle memory as I settle in that position.

Having told Tenko and Himiko I'm a rock climber made me feel awkward and fake, but as I climb higher on the shelf, my nerves settle a bit since it feels relatively easy and natural.

 _If that's the case though, why do I still feel so weird when I tell people I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber? Some people even recognize me...so why does it feel wrong?_

"Damn! You're like a monkey girl! Who..." Miu starts, before I look back at her while searching the shelf I'm half clinging to. Just like that, as soon as her crystal blue eyes meet my similar blue orbs, she shrieks and grins this massive smile of glee. I almost lose my balance and grip at the piercing sound she makes, watching as she bounces up and down almost like Tenko had before when she'd learned who I was. From where I am, I can see her bouncing do some unholy things to her chest... "You're _Perfect Blitz!_ The Ultimate Rock Climber! Oh my god! I have so many posters of you in my bedroom!"

 _Oh god,_ I think, feeling my cheeks turn red at the amount of praise she gives me. I don't even deserve it, this "Perfect Blitz" person doesn't sound anything like me at all...

"A-Anyways, what are these paper things that you want so badly? Stickers or something?" I ask, right as I give up on the shelf I'm searching through and move to climb to the next level.

 _"No way!_ They're much better than stickers! It's LSD! So I can take a trip to la-la land and forget about this mess we're all in~!" Miu announces, striking a very aroused and sexual pose at the thought when my head whips around to look at her.

"You're making me look for _drugs?!_ " I shout in disbelief, so astounded that the force of my voice hitting the entirety of the warehouse amplifies it to a ridiculous volume. Miu immediately jerks back at the sound and shrinks into herself with a pitiful whine of shame and a chastised expression.

"I-I _deserve_ a peace of mind if those teddy bears are trapping me in here, don't I? Please don't be mad at me! I won't do them then! I'll drink soda and e-eat candy instead until I give myself a stomach ache!" Miu offers instead, half drooling at the thought. "Oh, now that I give it some thought...sweets _do_ sound better!"

"Y-Yeah, don't do drugs Miu. Especially here. I don't think we'd be able to call paramedics if you were to happen to overdose- and above that, it's not healthy to use drugs to escape reality," I scold her pointedly, noticing a weak spot in her personality and stepping in to take care of her. Seeing someone as meek as myself is strangely comforting...even if she _is_ brash and vulgar on the surface.

She nods and I jump straight off the high shelf to land on both feet beside her without a second thought, dusting myself off and then pausing to blink in surprise. I did that without even thinking about it... How did I know I could handle a jump from that height?

I shake the thought off and look at Miu again, receiving an eager-to-please smile from Miu as she steps closer.

"Anyways, I need to properly introduce myself or the monokubs will get upset. My actual name is Prairie Marble, and I'd prefer to be called that that Perfect Blitz. But yeah, I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber," I confirm to her, holding out a hand that Miu takes after recovering from my light scolding.

"Don't _I_ know that! I think you're the fucking coolest, second to myself of course! Hell, you even have a great set of tits too! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Miu laughs, making me turn bright red all the way to the tips of my ears as I glance down at my chest.

"Um... Thanks..." I answer sheepishly before giving her a wave and a timid smile. "I'll see you around, Miu. Please be careful."

"No problem, that's easy! Careful is my middle fuckin' name!" Miu crows, before wandering to another portion of the warehouse as I step back out into the hall and wave my hands at my face to cool myself down. There's not enough soap on this planet to wash my ears of all that profanity I just heard...!

 _Huh...no monokubs around waiting to chastise me for taking too long..._

I take a right and halt dead in my tracks when I see someone come into view at the end of the hall leading towards the dining hall.

 _Rantaro!_ I think, pivoting on my foot to walk in the opposite direction and counting it as a blessing that I noticed him before he noticed me. Just when I take a step away though-

"Hey, Prairie!"

I squeak loudly with obvious guilt, but stop walking as I turn to see him job the rest of the way towards me. He smiles once he straightens up, although this time it's one of mild embarrassment from what I can tell. What's _he_ embarrassed for though? I'm the one that was obviously trying to run away from him again!

"Still running away from me, huh? I've actually been meaning to ask...did I do something before for you to be afraid of me? If so-" He starts much to my shock.

"Wha-? No! That's not it at all, you're wonderful!" I blurt out in my rush to reassure him, only realizing what I've said after I see his expression shift into one of true surprise. "N-No, wait! I didn't mean that! W-Well, not that you aren't wonderful, I'm just not good interacting with boys- especially when they're handsome!"

...

Rantaro's lips quirk in a bit of a smile and I feel heat flood my cheeks, prompting me to cover my entire face with my hair in utter embarrassment as I turn away from him. Feeling lightheaded, I crouch down and humbly pray for the Earth to swallow me whole...yet again.

"...I am so sorry..." I whimper. "You can walk away now if you want..."

At that, Rantaro actually laughs and makes my face heat up even more. Before I know it, he's crouching beside me much to my disbelief. He reaches over to remove my hands and push my hair out of my face, smiling when our eyes meet again. His expression looks totally composed and cheerful, but I'm pretty sure my own visage is a chaotic mess.

"Ah. There you are. So how are you doing so far? Do those bears still have you on their radar, or did they decide to leave you be for now?" He inquires, allowing my nerves to settle after my embarrassing display by changing the subject.

"Th-They're supposed to still be around but...I don't see them at the moment. They don't take this long unless they just don't want to show up. I've just been going around introducing myself to other Ultimates like they asked me to," I explain, grateful for the new topic.

"Hmm..." Rantaro smiles and then looks up behind me. At first I'm confused, but then the sound of the door being slammed open makes me jump up to my feet with a yelp, scurrying beside Rantaro instinctively and grabbing hold of his arm.

When I see it's just Miu exiting the warehouse, I relax a little and then jump away from Rantaro when I register I'm clinging to him unnecessarily.

"Huh? Oh! Just you, Prairie~! ...And you," Miu comments, cheerful when referring to me and bored when speaking to Rantaro. Looking up, Rantaro's left eye twitches ever so slightly, but in the end, he manages to keeps that Sunday smile on his face. His patience with people is incredible...!

Her eyes fall back on me again, only for her blue eyes to light up with recognition as she looks from my red face to Rantaro and back. Realizing what sort of ideas are formulating in her head, I hold up my hands and try to wave them off, but it doesn't seem like it clicks for her when her face breaks into a wide grin.

"Oh, so you're into _these_ kinds of men, huh, Prairie?! Tall and pretty? Pfft, I would have thought you'd be more into the aggressive assholes or something!" Miu laughs, hands on her hips as she very obviously checks Rantaro up and down. "Hm... Yeah, good choice, he's probably packing some good inches down there."

Rantaro actually looks a little disturbed by her analysis, but doesn't waver in his stance before her at all.

With her observations settled, Miu walks past us and shoots me some sassy finger guns of support. "You get him, tiger! Don't forget to use your knockout titties, that's what gets those dumb shits droolin'!"

She departs with that unintentional social slaughter, and all that's left is the empty husk of the person I used to be, crackling and withering into dust in her wake.

My face is so warm that the next second after I blink, I find myself looking up at a spinning room- Rantaro's face hovering over my own curiously. He doesn't look too worried...but why is he looking at me like that?

"...You doing okay now? Can you hear me?" He asks, making me frown in confusion.

"What...? What do you mean? I hear you fine..." I say slowly, watching as the ceiling behind him starts to slow in its spinning. "...Am I on the floor?"

"Yeah... Prairie, you sort of fainted. I think what Miu was talking about was a bit too much for you," Rantaro laughs awkwardly, almost looking nervous as he smiles and rubs the back of his head. "We can just pretend she didn't say anything if you want. In fact, who's Miu?"

 _...What Miu said...?_

...!

"Ah!" I sit up quickly as the memory comes back to me, only to freeze when I miscalculate how close Rantaro is and nearly bump into his chest as a result. He moves in time though, his smile widening just slightly when he sees my cheeks start to turn red again. "R-Right, what's a Miu? Never heard of it either!"

Rantaro reaches over, surprising me when he brushes some hair stuck to my lips out of the way and tucks it behind my ear. He himself seems surprised by his own actions as well, but rather than maybe panic or faint like I probably would in his shoes, Rantaro just takes my hands and helps me back up onto my feet, keeping hold of one hand once we're up when I wobble a little.

"I'm okay," I insist in embarrassment, taking my hand out of his timidly if only to ensure an escape since it's becoming increasingly difficult to be around him without still thinking of Miu's words at the moment.

He seems to understand the base of my discomfort and offers me a smile nonetheless. "I guess I should let you keep going then, huh? I'd hate for the monokubs to get upset because I'm hogging you again."

I give him a smile and nod politely, taking a step past him with quiet relief at this way out he's handed me, whether intentional or not, on a silver platter.

"I'll see you later, Rantaro..." I answer him, trying not to sound _too_ timid as he gives me a wave and then continues on his way. As he turns to leave, I look back at him one more time and manage to catch a strange eerie frown on his face, although his gaze isn't directed at me anymore.

 _What's that expression for?_ I wonder in confusion, turning away again with a nervous nibble at my lower lip. It's almost as if he just got less optimistic once I was gone... _Maybe he has some sort of homesick feeling? ...Maybe I remind him too much of his sister and it somehow upsets him on some level, but doesn't want to hurt my feelings by letting me know?_

My thoughts only grow more chaotic until I reach the area I was last at, only to approach a doorway blocked by a metal grating. As I look between the bars, I'm startled by Monophanie appearing by my feet, looking rather sullen and upset as she hums sadly.

Normally, I wouldn't really care- especially after how cruel she's been to me thus far, but I cave in to my empathy anyways. "I-Is something wrong, Monophanie?"

Monophanie looks up at me and presses a little red button on a tiny black box she's holding, causing the shutter of the blocked off area to quickly open up. I jump back with a yelp, half irritated she hadn't said anything to warn me. What if that thing caught my hair?! My scalp could have been torn off or something!

"My brothers made _me_ come to help your ugly but with the doorway here. Seeing your face again has totally ruined my day. You're not cute at all!" Monophanie complains before suddenly disappearing again.

... _I guess when it's just me, those are the times Monophanie is supposed to be escorting me. She's presumably ditching._

"Ah, I was wondering when I would be allowed passage through this doorway."

 _Hey! Isn't that...?_

I turn to see who's walked up behind me, already knowing who it is without needing to hear anymore of their voice.

 _ **End of 1.8 - Strange Ultimates**_

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for your comments btw, Langas and FighterX, they really help make me want to write more! I'm glad you like the story~!


	9. 1:9 - Blasphemy

_**1.9 - Blasphemy**_

I turn and have to hold back the little smile that wants to form on my face when I see Korekiyo Shinguji step to my side. Together, we enter the new area and he hums in thought at the sight.

"...I believe this is the entrance hall. And through that door ahead, we can leave this infernal building once and for all. Marvelous," Korekiyo cackles in the usual somewhat eerie way he always does. As he inspects the entrance hall, I'm given just enough time to have a good look at his outfit provided by the monokubs.

In a way, it's almost both elegant and historical looking at the same time,like a lot of care was put into the style. It's fitting for him, but I have to ask...

"A-Are you the Ultimate Historian?" I query curiously, making Korekiyo turn to face me with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. He seems amused by my guess... "I'm wrong, aren't I? Darn."

"You're only a little off the mark. I'm Korekiyo Shinguji, The Ultimate Anthropologist. The study of what makes people human basically, which I suppose involves some history knowledge. I'm far more centered around cultural anthropology, but I'm also well versed in both linguistic and biological anthropology, as well as archaeology. Not too many people are familiar with the term that is my Ultimate, but it really is an exquisite study," Korekiyo explains, fixing the bandages carefully wound around his left hand. "And you... You're awfully familiar. May I ask who you are?"

 _He has such nice manners... I mean, he's still sort of creepy, but I like him. He's been nice to me since our previous meetings, regardless of how he might come off to be. It's not good to judge people based on the surface anyways._

"I'm Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber. I...don't exactly remember anything about myself actually. Someone else told me I'm apparently-" I explain timidly with a sheepish smile before he cuts me off with a hum of sudden understanding.

"Oh, I see now. You're Perfect Blitz. It's wonderful to meet someone who's impacted so many people's lives," Korekiyo holds out a hand, which I shake without hesitation due to feeling comfortable around him. He cackles when he notices my lack of caution, keeping his warm hand wrapped around mine and pulling it closer to run a thumb over the brass knuckles on the back of my fingerless gloves thoughtfully. "Eager to make friends? You ought to be more cautious of the people around you. We _are_ strangers to one another, after all... Well, besides you to us, as I'm sure you're aware."

I feel my cheeks turn slightly red at his words. Right- even if we _have_ met for the first time several times, Korekiyo is still a stranger to me...

 _So are Rantaro, Kiibo, Tenko, Gonta...and as he_ _made it obviously clear, Kokichi too. Heck, I'm a stranger to_ myself _at that._

"R-Right..." I answer simply with a timid stutter, turning to look at the door again and rubbing the stitched "X" shaped gash on my bicep nervously.

 _"Well, we're trapped here."_

That's what Rantaro had said during our second meeting when he learned I'd seen Monotaro and fifteen other students grouped with us in the gym. So although these doors lead outdoors, we're probably still in a situation where we can't leave. An enclosed environment...trapped so we can play Monokuma's and Junko Enoshima's sick killing game.

 _"You have to get away with murder."_

I frown and avert my gaze to my feet solemnly, eyeing my outfit as I do to distract myself from my thoughts. I hate what I'm wearing... I hope they provide us with something else- this outfit is too tacky for my taste.

 _You're just saying that because Monophanie said you look cheap with it on..._ The traitorous side of my brain insists, until I look away from my outfit as well and to a spot on the floor where grass is growing out from between the cracks of some tiles. A single yellow pansy is growing there and nowhere else.

...Both Korekiyo and I have been standing there for a bit now, neither of us inching forwards to open the door. I can only guess what could be stopping him, but for me it's the fear of confirming with my own two eyes that Rantaro is right about us being stuck here.

"...Do you think freedom is on the other side of this door, Blitz?" Korekiyo inquires, adapting to calling me my other name quickly and making my stomach roll slightly. It's more out of discomfort than disgust that my stomach rolls though, so I simply ignore it. If anyone really wants to call me "Blitz", well...I guess they can.

"No. Actually, I'm one hundred percent sure freedom isn't past these doors," I state in response, letting my eyes flick back up to the massive doors. At my answer, Korekiyo cackles in amusement.

"I have a feeling I agree with you," he says, adjusting his mask and then taking a step forward. I follow suit, grabbing hold of one handle as he takes the second doors handle. "Shall we?"

I nod in response and we push open the doors.

I'm almost blinded by the sunlight as the bright light of day passes through my retinas, making me recoil momentarily with a hand to shield most of the light until I see...grass. It looks like an unfinished school campus outside, but there's a gentle breeze that caresses my skin and weaves around the locks of my curly hair, making me shiver just a tad bit.

Most eye-catching of all, however...

"Amazing... I wonder how they could have managed to build a cage of this size without attracting the attention of anybody. Perhaps we are being kept in a remote location of the sorts? One no one would notice something even as conspicuous as this?" Korekiyo observes, stepping out for only a moment before before he seems to hum to himself in thought and turns to return indoors. "I think I shall save exploring the outdoors for last. I still have yet to see what's downstairs. Until we meet again, Miss Blitz."

I nod to Korekiyo and watch him disappear into the school again, only stepping out down the steps from the main building once he's completely gone. He's right though, how in the world did they build a cage this size without anybody noticing? Why hasn't anyone come to help us?

...I discard those thoughts for the time being and step onto the cut grass past the steps. I can see the silhouette of buildings beyond the cage bars...but the entire thing engulfs the whole "school". Forget about climbing it out either, even if I _am_ apparently the Ultimate Rock Climber. At a certain point, the craggy rock wall turns to sleek metal- far too slippery to climb. What would I even grip at that point?

 _"Rise and Shine, Ursine!"_

I don't even look as all five of the monokubs appear around me in a circle. Of _course_ they've decided to come and heckle me some more...

"Isn't this cage _amazing,_ beautiful?" Monotaro comments, causing Monophanie to immediately cry out in horror.

"No! Don't call her that! She's really _ugly!_ If you call her beautiful, she'll start to have healthy self-esteem standards!" Monphanie warns her sibling, turning blue in disgust.

"HAHAHA! Screw that shit! Let's talk about this awesome wall first! Hey, _Ugly_ , meet our HUGE ASS _WALL OF THE END!"_ Monokid howls, prompting me to finally stop staring at the distant city beyond the cage and pivot in the blue bear's direction with a bemused expression.

"W-What?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Why such a weird name?"

"Heh! Normally, walls act as a border to divide two spaces, but this wall is _much_ different. To put it in simpler terms..." Monosuke adjusts his glasses, sounding smug and proud of his little exposition. "This is all what remains of the world."

...

"'This is all what remains of this world'... A-Are you saying there's no more 'world' past this school? As in...we're here because there's nowhere else to go?" I inquire, squinting at the bears in honest confusion and mild fear at the idea of this quite possibly being true. "I...I don't follow."

"Huh?! Oh no, your ugly face has made me lose track of my train of thought!" Monosuke blurts out in a dramatic and mocking voice of exaggerated pain, followed by noises of disgust from the other three bears. Monodam just turns away and averts his gaze, face in a grimace as usual.

"So ugly, REAL DAMN UGLY!" Monokid agrees with Monosuke.

"Looking at her ugly face...! It's making me forget myself! So ugly!" Monotaro jumps in as well, much to my irritation as I clench my jaw under my closed lips and try not to let my rising temper get out of control. If I do something to the bears, I won't just be getting a ruler to the back of the wrist like I do from Rantaro, so to speak.

No, I'd most certainly be thrust into another punishment game or something to a similar degree.

"All you need to know is...there's no way out! Simple~! Give up, Ugly! Not even the Ultimate Rock Climber like you can climb it!" Monophanie elaborates daintily, making the other three bears snicker among one another. Monodam shuffles his feet in response to his siblings and steps away from them a bit.

"HELL YEAH! THE ULTIMATE _WALL!"_ Monokid laughs.

"Anyways! Watch your step, Ugly! We don't want you becoming an ugly stain _this_ early on!" Monotaro snickers, just before the bears all chorus, _"So Long! Bear Well!"_

Just like that, the four worst ones disappear, leaving Monodam to look my way just before he too bounds away to wherever his siblings have gone.

 _...Aren't they forgetting something?_ I think, crossing my arms and tapping my foot as I step onto the cement path and patiently wait. A second later, Monotaro reappears, grumbling to himself in a chastised manner with less pep in his step than he had when he'd left moments before.

"Oh? Back so soon?" I ask innocently with a bit of a smirk since it's likely the only way for me to throw some vengeful salt their way without having to put myself on any chopping block for maybe kicking them or something. Monotaro lifts his head to look up at me, the fur of his robotic body actually puffing up slightly at my expression as I look down on him both figuratively and literally.

"N-No, _you!"_ He snaps, before turning to lead me to the next Ultimate. I just smile to myself in amusement. At least these stupid monokubs are a distraction from...well, the cage we're all trapped in.

 _I can't let it suck all the hope out of me though... Granted, even if there was a way we all came in, we could all totally be sealed in here, but we'll find a way out for sure! I absolutely_ refuse _to play Monokuma's killing game!_

What if there isn't anything to go back to out there? What if, as Monosuke said, this little cage is all that's left of the world?

 _Doesn't matter. We can survive out there, we'll just learn to adapt if that's the case. Anywhere is better than the grounds of a killing game._

"There we are! Well, you know what to do, _Ugly!_ It's goodbye for real this time~!" Monotaro chirps, his farewell catching the attention of a person I can't see over or around the corner of tall uncut grass Monotaro had lead me through. Unlike the grass near the main building, this grass is unkempt and taller than even myself.

Monotaro bounds away just as I hear the Ultimate, who sounds like a guy, call out, "Who's there?! Come out and show yourself you _plushy teddy bear bastard!"_

I flinch and squeal loudly in surprise when a tall magenta haired guy suddenly pops up in my path from between the tall grass with something akin to a warrior's battle cry, fists raised with one prepped to take aim at my face. It isn't until he sees me that his fierce expression settles, causing him to pause and lower his fist while I stand there stiff as a board and pale faced on my tiptoes.

"Oh, I thought you were one of those monokubs! I could have sworn I heard one over here... Hey, you okay? Did I scare you that badly? I'm sorry about that!" The guy laughs in embarrassment, sheepishly pressing a palm to his forehead and wincing at my expression a little. "Really, _really_ sorry...!"

 _This is the same guy that came screaming into the gym that time with Miu... He's totally different now, what the heck happened? Before he gave off the impression of being a bit cowardly, but now he's more on the rash and aggressive side...? What's going on?_

I feel my nerves eventually calm down and let out a shaky breath, looking up at the guy with timid eyes. He smiles warmly, and right then and there I'm reminded I'm _terrible_ at talking to boys... _Especially_ good looking ones.

"Ah, um... You weren't wrong. One of the monokubs was here just a second ago..." I tell him, watching his eyebrows knit together in mild confusion. "T-They're making me go around to meet and introduce myself to every Ultimate here. And chaperoning me on top of that. I got into trouble a little earlier, so they don't want a repeat of it."

The guy suddenly laughs at my confession, a boisterous and jolly laugh that actually makes me take a step back. He's a bit too loud for me... "Sweet! Good to know someone else besides me is causing them trouble too! They threatened to boil me alive in oil after I broke off one of the signs here and tried to fight them!" The guy taps his chest with a big grin, right before slamming both of his fists together. "Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! Or better known as the Ultimate Astronaut!"

My eyes widen noticeably. He's an _astronaut?!_

"R-Really? But you're so _young!"_ I gape in awe, causing the male to laugh and rub the tip of his nose with harmless pride as I look up at him.

"Speak for yourself, _Perfect Blitz!"_ He exclaims, pointing his finger at me and making me turn red with wide eyes. Realizing my predicament, I yank my hair over my face in embarrassment and wait out for my blush to subside. "Yeah, that's right, I know who you are! You were already a world class climber by the time you were _nine._ THAT is young. Ah, by either way, I'm only an astronaut in training- and I got help getting to take the exam. What's amazing about _you_ is that you climbed your way to the top using your own power! Seriously, I know girls are the ones most influenced by you, but growing up seeing your feats really helped me strive towards _my_ _own_ goals and dreams!"

If anything, my cheeks heat up even more under my hair. I feel a little lightheaded now too...!

"I-I'm sorry! I'm not used to this stuff yet...! Unlike everyone else here, um, I don't remember anything about myself at all... I'm just hearing it all second-hand. I don't _feel_ like an inspiration... I don't even feel like I'm Perfect Blitz at all," I squeak timidly, hearing Kaito hum in understanding.

"But you know your name at least, right? Your real one?' He inquires, making me nod and drop my hair as my face somewhat cools down. "And your talent?"

"Prairie Marble, Ultimate Rock Climber," I answer to prove it, causing a smile to form on Kaito's face. He really is an energetic sort of guy, isn't he? That's nice. Optimism is good in a place like this.

"Good! So, Prairie, about this whole cage thing...how do you feel about it?" He asks, looking up so I follow his gaze to the sky where I can still make out the silhouette of buildings standing just barely visible in the distance past the metal bars and border.

... _I can't put my finger on it, but..._

"There's something weird about the sky," I blurt out, making Kaito frown and eye it as well. "I don't know what it is, but I'll try and get a closer look later. I can at least climb it _half-way,_ right?"

"...So you're going to keep looking for a way out then, right? Even if those bears say it's no use?" Kaito inquires curiously, though I don't turn away from looking up at the sky.

"... _Especially_ because those bears say it's no use," I hear myself answer.

A minute later Kaito whistles and lets out a laugh that snaps me out of my daze, the guy visibly amused as our eyes meet and I bring my hands up to my chest nervously.

"Yeah. You're _definitely_ Perfect Blitz. A pure blooded stubborn rebel- even if you _are_ surprisingly shy and cute!" Kaito points out grinning much to my shock. My cheeks burn redder and I cover my face again, only making him laugh even more. "Get used to the praise, I don't doubt I'm the only one that will be throwing them your way later on!"

 _Better than always hearing the monokubs call me "Ugly"..._ I think, bravely uncovering my face despite it still being somewhat warm.

"It was great to meet you, b-but I should keep going. The bears get upset when I take too long with a person..." I explain, earning a nod of understanding from Kaito who thumps a fist against his chest again and grins.

"If you ever need anything, just call for me, Prairie!" Kaito says brightly, tousling my hair at the top before striding past me and giving me a friendly wink I smile back at.

 _"At this rate, Prairie Dog will be like a harem anime protagonist! Nee-hee-hee!"_

I feel my face become unbearably hot at the memory of Kokichi's words from a previous reset. Why did he have to go and say something so embarrassing? Why did _I_ have to go and _remember_ something as embarrassing as that?!

 _Just forget about it and get moving!_ _  
_ _  
_It isn't until I snap out of my thoughts that I realize Monodam is standing in front of me and waiting patiently.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait...!" I apologize on impulse, if only because Monodam is the more preferable of the five bears.

Monodam says nothing but only starts walking when it appears I'm ready to go, leading me in the opposite direction Kaito had went off towards. What an impassive bear...who is somehow more considerate than the others. Or is this maybe just a ruse so I'll eventually end up naively trusting him? Could this docile personality be a trap waiting to be sprung on me?

...Better to steer clear of being attached to any of the bears. Even one as passive as Monodam.

We walk until we reach an open area, one with an archway coated with vines and small pink flowers. While I'm admiring them however...

"THE-LARGE-ULTIMATE-IS-NEARBY."

My eyes widen and I turn to look at Monodam in surprise at the sound of his robotic voice, but he's already gone by the time I'm facing the space he was occupying while escorting me.

 _..."The large ultimate"...?_ _  
_ _  
_ _..._ And then I see him come into view as I step out past the arch, where he appears to be eyeing some tree very closely, turning leaves over in search of something presumably small. My face breaks into an automatic smile when I see him.

It's Gonta! The sweet mountain sized man!

"Hello!" I speak up, voice taking a more cheerful tone as I approach the more or less unsuspecting Gonta, half climbing the side of the arch so I'm just a bit taller than I usually am. He straightens up and turns, looking honestly surprised when he finds me upon looking lower than his line of sight. As soon as he gives me a once over, he turns his head almost as if looking for someone else standing behind him. Who's he looking for? "May I introduce myself?"

"T-To Gonta?" He asks, pointing a finger to himself in honest confusion as he meets my gaze again. I smile and nod in confirmation, surprised to see a grateful smile of undiluted joy appear on his face. "Oh! Gonta thought no one would talk to Gonta... Since Gonta so big and scary. B-But Gonta must be good gentleman if small one like you want to talk! Thank you!"

He looks absolutely elated, so I nod and jump off of the arch to step closer with a hand out.

"I'm Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber!" I introduce myself, given another pleasant surprise that makes me hide my face a little behind a wad of gathered hair when Gonta gets down on one knee and actually leaves a small peck on the back of my fingerless climbing glove.

"Very nice meet you, small Prairie! Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara! Gonta is Ultimate Entomologist, but one true goal is to become gentleman!" Gonta also introduces himself, playing with the cuffs of his sleeves thoughtfully as he smiles down at me.

"Entomologist... Is that bugs?" I inquire, watching Gonta's eyes light up. Phew, glad I got one right this time...! Furthermore, I'm sort of glad he doesn't recognize me like the others have so far.

"Yes!" Gonta confirm in a loud and excited yell, before training his mouth with an embarrassed smile and red tinted cheeks. "Sorry, Gonta just so happy... But small Prairie right! Entomologist is study of bugs!"

Gonta's face falls after a moment and he glances over his shoulder at the part of the arch where he was studying the leaves attached to it.

"But...Gonta no can find bugs anywhere. No bugs in flower, no bugs on tree. Gonta no see animals either. Gonta think it weird," Gonta states bluntly, frowning and scratching his cheek gently with a finger thoughtfully.

I furrow my brows and look at the flowers and leaves on the archway as well, squinting as I examine them. Maybe there's some really small ones Gonta is having trouble seeing? He _does_ wear glasses... That or maybe the bugs camouflage well?

...No. I don't even hear the buzzing of bees or flies. I don't hear any birds around either.

"That _is_ weird. How's that even possible? Bugs are practically everywhere, they should still be here since we can still see past the cage," I comment, hearing Gonta's breath hitch suddenly as soon as I finish speaking. I turn to look at him, cocking my head slightly to the side curiously in question. Did I say something wrong to him?

"S-Small Prairie...! You like bugs?!" Gonta looks fired up, but since I know he's such a teddy bear already, I just smile and watch as passion fills his eyes behind his glasses. "You have favorite bug? Tell Gonta, please! Gonta no meet girls who like bugs- Gonta thought all girls hate bugs!"

I laugh at that and give it some thought, looking up and tapping my chin with a finger. Thinking about them...I don't think I like them to Gonta's level, but I don't feel squeamish about them either. If I have to pick a bug I like the most...

"I like Centipedes. I don't know a lot about them, but I like that they look like walking accordions," I finally decide, watching Gonta practically vibrate with glee. "I'd like to see one sometime if I can, I've never seen one in person. Just the house centipedes, but those aren't the kinds I'm talking about."

"Small Prairie really _do_ like bugs! Gonta happy to teach you all about centipedes if you like! Gonta once bitten by tropical centipede- big painful- but Gonta still here! Gonta bitten and stung by many, hurts less now!" Gonta cheers in an upbeat manner, propping both hands on his hips proudly at the admission.

 _Ouch! But at least he's happy, I guess. I don't think I could handle even one bite from a venomous centipede- I'm too tiny. With Gonta and his big body though, I don't doubt that Gonta can just power through and endure all those venomous stings and bites from studying bugs._

"I'd love to hear more later! T-Truth is, I'm actually trying to meet everyone here at the moment, so learning about them will have to wait...but I'm looking forward to it. I hope more people come talk to you, Gonta. You're very nice, a real gentleman as far as I can tell~" I compliment him, watching his cheeks redden as he rubs the back of his neck in modest embarrassment.

"G-Gonta very happy to hear! Gonta can't wait to hang out later, please take care, small Prairie," Gonta says, waving as I smile and give him a farewell wave on the walk down the path to find a monokub that will lead me to the next Ultimate.

 _Aw, well, I guess since we weren't all chased into the gymnasium this time, people are less willing to approach even someone like Gonta. No fair, he's one of the sweetest ones here!_

"At least I don't have to drag you around this time!"

I sigh, glancing down to find Monosuke by my feet. The bear's presence is already ruining my good mood as we head down the path together.

"You _don't_ have to talk, you know?" I snip at him, causing a flash of pain in my good shin as he gives it a swift kick that nearly makes me trip and eat dirt.

"And _you_ don't have to _backsass_ me, Ugly!" Monosuke huffs, stopping by a large pair of red double doors surrounded by vines. "Now, remember this moment... I could _easily_ use that as a third strike and kill you right here with an Exisal. _Capishe?_ Be grateful I'm not! Next time, I won't be so sympathetic!"

Monosuke disappears into some tall grass, leaving me beside the red doors as I rub my newly assaulted shin. They _really_ love doing that, don't they? Maybe I should make shin guards out of whatever I can find in the warehouse...

It's while I'm looking around that I raise an eyebrow when I notice a strange stone ninja carving a ways away from where I'm standing, the statue even donning a mask and everything.

 _First that weird dragon statue by that girl that Ignored me, now this? Why are there so many out of place things around anyways? It's strange, even for decorative purposes! It's like they were just slapped in at the last minute...but then again, I see even some buildings are still under construction, so maybe they're planning on doing something with them._

 _..._

Wait. Why build _anything_ in the first place...if we're going to be killing each other for Monokuma's game anyways? That doesn't make any sense.

 _...I'll think about that later on,_ I decide, turning to open the red doors where I'm sure I'll find another Ultimate lurking.

I definitely don't expect what I find on the other side of those doors, since the rest of the place has been in shambles as far as I can tell. What instead greets me is a large fountain in a plateau of tidy and well groomed grass surrounding it. There are pillars and several roses and hedges of pink flowers, the back of the room holding a gorgeous wall of falling water.

 _This is a romantic scene,_ I think as I blink owlishly at the sight, just before quickly dispelling my thoughts. Romance? Yeah, right. If you call _"manslaughter"_ romantic...or you like your roses as red as the sprayed blood of your victims...

"Hello, hello!" A voice calls, just as a girl comes around from a blind spot past the fountain with a bright and bouncy smile that immediately catches me off guard enough that I flinch in surprise. I mean, I know I shouldn't be surprised since Monosuke led me here because of an Ultimate in the first place, but knowing didn't lessen the surprise of the girl jumping out from seemingly nowhere. "My name's Angie Yonaga! I'm the Ultimate Artist~! Happy to meet you!"

Her white pigtails bob as she hops on over towards me, pink cheeks as vibrant as her smile. She might even be more optimistic than Kaito with a smile like that...!

 _"Nyahahaa!_ You are Perfect Blitz, Atua tells me so with his divine power! The Ultimate Rock Climber! What a wonder to meet you in person!" She keeps going, cirling me inquisitively despite her bubbly sociable smile. It's actually sort of off putting now... Is it really necessary for her to go around me like a vulture...?

"Um...yes. I-It's nice to meet you too-" I start, only to get immediately cut off by her asking, "How does it feel knowing you'll be punished for blasphemy once you pass into the afterlife?""

... _What?_

"Blasphemy? What do you-" I repeat in confusion. What's she talking about?

"People around the world practically worship you like a god! They see you can do no wrong, no? And you _let_ them think this way! Why else would you give yourself the name 'Perfect Blitz'? Although, if I pricked your finger, you would surely bleed! Indeed you are a blasphemer, Nyahahaa! No amount of blood sacrifice to Atua will save you from burning in hell, Prairie Marble~!"

She says all of this with such a positive and bright tone of voice it all practically blindsides me. I'm a blasphemer because I'm a celebrity...? Just because people supposedly look up to me?

 _"Any_ ways! Bye-onara~!" She cheerily chirps, leaning from one side to the other in an endearing manner before bounding away to the fountain again and abruptly ending the conversation. I barely got a word in. I didn't even introduce myself properly or explain my situation...

... _Well, I can't force her to talk to me. Nor should I have to waste my time on her if she's gonna judge me without getting to know me past "Perfect Blitz"... That's fine. This doesn't bother me. She's not required to like me._

Except that the rejection _does_ bother me. In ways that make me hate this other identity I apparently have more than I had when I realized some of them were looking at me and seeing somebody else entirely.

I turn and march to the red doors, impulsively shoving them open without a thought and-

 _"WAH!"_

"EEK!" I squeak with a jump, startled by the cry on the other side when I nearly run into a body made entirely of metal. When I see who it is, I relax and let the doors shut behind me, sighing in relief. "Oh, i-it's just you, Kiibo... You scared me. Are you okay?"

"P-Prairie! You shouldn't open doors so violently with such force...! You almost hit me!" Kiibo exclaims, looking rather miffed. I feel my hands fly up to cover my mouth, heart clenching with shame at the call out as a result of my lack of emotional control. Is this the..."aggressive attitude" Ryoma said he expected more out of me? Is this a part of Perfect Blitz I can't remember lingering as a shadow that jumps out when I lose my temper?

 _"You don't seem like a bitch at all,"_ Himiko's words float to the forefront of my mind.

 _...But maybe I am one after all. Maybe that's why Angie says I'm going to hell._

I face Kiibo and bow deeply as far as I can, heart still skipping irregularly with shame. "Y-You're right. I'm sorry, that really was irresponsible of me, Kiibo. I won't do it again, I promise," I apologize, letting my hair cover my face as I bow to hide the fact that I can feel water trying to form at the corners of my eyes. I bitterly try to hide it, however, straining to keep the tears from appearing.

"Oh, um-! You don't have to bow, I forgive you! I-I know it wasn't aimed at me for being a robot!" Kiibo suddenly stammers, while I peek up from my deep bow at him. "But I have to ask...are you upset about something? Humans tend to react more irrational during times of stress. Perhaps I might be able to help you with that!"

 _"Nyahahahaa~!_ Blasphemers like Perfect Blitz are spoiled and used to acting without consequence, so they freely lash out regularly with little thought! That's what Atua tells me!" I hear Angie's voice explain from the other side of the door. At that, I can't help but turn and give the pair of doors an slightly incredulous look that somewhat distracts me from my tears enough to think straight. She's listening in on us...?!

Kiibo frowns at Angie's statement, but I straighten up and offer him a forced smile.

"I-I'll be okay, Kiibo. Don't worry. If I still feel upset later, I'll let you know," I decline as politely as possible, almost aching to get away from both the door Angie is undoubtedly listening through and Kiibo himself.

"Uh...alright, Prairie. You promise?" He asks, prompting me to smile a bit more realistically at the determined look in his blue eyes and nod in response. He smiles at that, and rubs the top of my head warmly to muss up my hair. Jeez, a lot of people do that to me... "Good! I'll talk to you later then, Prairie."

"Talk to you later," I respond without giving away the relief his dismissal gives me, walking down the left side of the path to double back to the area I'd met Kaito at. Just when I think I'll finally have some room to breathe for a second, I hear an obnoxious whoop that makes my stomach turn.

I'm just asking for a _minute to myself._

"Hey-ya, UGLY BLASPHEMER!" Monokid howls, much to my innate dismay. So he heard, huh? "How's your shins doing? HA!"

I don't answer him. I have zero fire in me to defend myself after nearly throwing a door in poor Kiibo's face.

 _Maybe this was he goal of the monokubs. Have a couple of people build up my self esteem a good enough amount by taking me to all the people that like me first, so the ones that hate me can rip me apart in the end like this._

 _...I don't think I like Perfect Blitz either._

"He-LLO! UGLY! We're _here._ Get a good look-see! This will be your new damn home from now on! THERE"S EVEN SHOWERS SO YOU CAN PEE!" Monokid shouts, making me look up to find the two of us in this large circular hall with many doors along each side on two different levels- seventeen in total.

"'Home'...?" I repeat tentatively, somewhat shocked by how dull and dry my voice sounds when I speak now. "You guys actually have rooms for us even though we're gonna be...?"

Monokid cackles as if I've just made a stupid joke or something. "HA! Plotting a good murder doesn't happen in one _day!_ GET REAL, UGLY! These luxurious living quarters will spice up your murder life more than an English pop girl group in platforms going on a hiatus!"

Before I can ask what in the world he's talking about regarding this English girl group, he's already vanished out of the doors and out of the building like a sneaky fox.

... _I wonder which one's mine. I could use a nap and alone time._

The door to the building suddenly opens, and I hold back a sigh. Maybe Angie's god _is_ making me suffer for being a blasphemer.

 _ **End of 1.9 - Blasphemy**_


	10. 1:10 - Trickster

_**1.10 - Trickster**_

"Oh, hello. I don't believe I've met you yet," a soothing feminine voice speaks up, their footsteps just as gentle as they approach me.

 _If I'm right about the monokubs saving the people that hate Perfect Blitz for last…_ I trail off that thought and turn around, surprised to find a girl in a very pretty maid-like attire walking up from behind me. She has an elegant style of short hair in a bob, it's color a pale olive green unlike Rantaro's more vibrant green hair.

"...Ah, I recognize you. You're Perfect Blitz, the Ultimate Rock Climber," she comments after a moment. Of course I hardly need to introduce myself… Just like Korekiyo said, everyone is a stranger- except for me apparently since everyone and their mother knows who I am. Save for myself, of course.

 _No they don't,_ I snap to myself in my head. _They know Perfect Blitz. I'm not Perfect Blitz, I can't be. I'm nothing like her._

This logic is obviously just my own denial, since there's much more proof in favor of me being Perfect Blitz than there is proof of me _not_ being her. I don't like it, but unfortunately it's the reality of the situation.

"I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. It's wonderful to meet you, despite the circumstances. If there is ever something you need, please do not hesitate to ask me. I'm here to assist anyone who might require it," the girl explains gracefully, prompting me to bite my lip as I look away with mild guilt.

"...There is something," I timidly speak up, hating how small my voice sounds.

"Yes? How may I assist you?" She asks with a smile, one that actually somewhat coaxes me into comfort.

"Um… If it's possible, can you pretend I'm someone entirely new to you? I don't remember who I used to be, so...hearing about Perfect Blitz from everyone has been somewhat stressing me out. J-Just in advance…!" I manage, watching as Kirumi blinks in surprise before smiling pleasantly at me and making a soft nod.

"Alright then, Prairie. If that is what you want, then I will gladly oblige to meet your request," she agrees in understanding, before turning to look at the rooms with me. "This place we're trapped in is rather odd, isn't it? It really makes no sense in my mind…"

I let out a hum of agreement, eyeing the doors before I finally notice the eight-bit designed icons above each one. Curious, I climb the stairs where I see one particular pink stained icon, set snug between what appears to be Kokichi's room and Kiibo's room. As I examine the pink icon, I realize it's actually my own room- considering the stupid orange oversized bow on the icon that I mirror wearing. The only thing about it though is that someone's drawn pink 'X's over my eyes and a long messy streak of pink straight across where my icon's neck is.

"How horrible… I can clean that for you so you don't have to see it again, Prairie. Do you perhaps know who might have done this?" Kirumi inquires, prompting me to sigh and nod.

"Y-Yeah. The monokubs all have an acute hatred for me. They've been heckling me from the start because I caused some trouble early on…" I admit, without getting into too many details. After all, saying too much will upset those bears. "I appreciate that you're willing to clean it, but I'd rather you not waste your time doing that. The bears will probably just vandalize it again straight after…"

Kirumi gives the little icon above my door a sympathetic look.

"Are you certain? It can't be pleasant for you to have to see that every time you pass this area…especially the connotations a place such as this proposes for our situation." Kirumi's words make me blink at her, but she just looks around at my puzzled expression. "They would not have built rooms for all of us if they hadn't planned to keep us here long."

 _Hmm… So she noticed then,_ I think as I look around, right before hearing Kirumi sigh and facing her again.

"Very well though, Prairie. Because you've stated it very clearly, I will not clean your icon plaque," Kirumi says with finality, though it looks as if she really, _really_ wants to clean it still.

I nod to Kirumi and decidedly reach out to grab hold of my supposed rooms door knob. When I try to turn it however, it stops and holds fast. Seems like it needs a key to be opened, which I don't have. Presumably, they'll give it to us later I guess…

"It's locked. I guess we aren't allowed inside of them just yet," I say thoughtfully while Kirumi steps away to walk towards her own room door. Once she reaches it she tries the knob as well, but the click it makes proves it to be locked as well.

"This might mean we are supposed to go somewhere else first...that, or similar to the other building, the rooms here are not quite finished just yet," Kirumi observes as I walk down the stairs towards the first floor. Whatever the reason, there's no point in being here if there's nothing that will help us get out of this place.

"I guess...um, I think I'm gonna look around somewhere else for now, so I'll see you later, Kirumi," I say, earning a nod from the tall girl when she looks back at me from beside her bedroom door.

"Very well. Until later, Prairie," Kirumi says with an elegant smile, allowing me to disappear outside of the building to go somewhere else.

 _How many Ultimates have I met and how many more do I still need to meet?_ I wonder, stepping out into the light and looking around the courtyard of the pitiful excuse of a "school". Have I already been everywhere? Did I happen to just accidentally pass a few of the last Ultimates I needed to meet? _Now_ what am I supposed to do?

I wander aimlessly, before reaching the corner bend of one of the larger patches of tall, uncut grass and pausing to eye it dryly. This grass really is ridiculously tall… I wouldn't be surprised if someone decided to hide in there and-

 _"_ _BOO!"_

I nearly shriek, but in my efforts to lurch backwards from the most annoying human to ever grace the planet Earth, I trip over my own foot and fall spectacularly on my behind with a pathetic mousey squeak of shock instead. Once the surprise wears off, I'm left glaring at the boy laughing with his head peeking through the tall grass.

"Nee-hee~! I was wondering who would end up being the victim to my little scare. I really got you, huh? But really, this grass is _soo_ tall! I actually think I could really get stuck in here!" He giggles, grinning like he didn't give me a heart attack just now.

As a result of his dismissal regarding my feelings in the matter, I keep my glare trained on him- neither moving to get up from where I've fallen, nor willing to verbally engage him.

What's the phrase? "Don't feed the trolls"?

…

"...Fine. I'm _actually_ stuck in here. For real, I mean. Of course, I don't expect you'd help me if I were to ask you, right? Hnnn…now I regret being such an ass to you. I guess I'll just wait here for a kind, selfless soul to rescue me. Though I doubt anyone will since I've pretty much gotten on just about everyone's nerves already...damn," Kokichi laments melodramatically with a sigh while I stare at him with a deadpan.

Is he trying to guilt trip me into helping him or something? I mean...I think he's terrible and annoying, _especially_ after that knife stunt he pulled on me earlier by the stairs to the lower floor, but I'd still help if he'd ask me like a normal person!

Kokichi plays with a blade of grass right under his nose, trying to blow it out of the way from tickling his nostrils until I sit up on my knees and reach out to pluck the particular sliver of grass out.

"Oh, thank you. Anyways, as I was saying…" He continues, ignoring the flat look on my face. "I'll just starve and die here, I guess...and all those homeless people that visit my evil organizations' HQ will just have to find a new place to get meals since I was the only one holding up the breadline for them...along with the ending of my specially funded 'Save-the-Whales' team I was sending out on ships to scout whale poachers and stop them. Not to mention without me, the teachers I sent to third world countries to educate children will have to be brought back home since I won't be around to keep the program up and running. Or that thing about endangered-"

"Kokichi, you are by far the _biggest_ drama queen I've ever seen. If you'd just _ask_ me, I would have helped you anyways!" I groan to shut him up, standing up completely on my two feet and watching as his head whips my way. Stars light up in his eyes and he gives me a big smile of glee that's almost too bright… Why does it have to be me helping the jerk? "D-Don't look at me like that. You disgust me. _Vermin_. After this, you _better_ be nicer to me!"

"I will! I absolutely will, I _promise!_ Help me, Prairie, you're my only hope!" He wiggles eagerly in the grass, making me sigh in resignation.

I step one foot into the mess of thick grass so I can lean in and find a part of him I can grab on to. Where the heck even are his arms?

"You're the _bestest_ most _awesome_ ultimate here!" Kokichi chirps as I give up looking for his arms. Maybe I can find his torso easier…

"Jeez, how in the world did you even manage to get in this mess?" I ask as I reach in for his torso...and find it way angled back. I grimace but force myself to lean in closer, enough that I have to turn my face a little over his shoulder so we don't bump noses. I can feel him study me with that stupid cheery grin of his, causing my cheeks to stain a gradual shade of pink as I feel around the grass to find his torso. It's there, but there's all this thick grass in the way…!

"I wanted to scare the socks off of someone, but I ended up getting trapped in the process! Ah… Being a professional prankster is no easy feat, Mousey-mouse," Kokichi explains as I weave my fingers around the grass so I can actually grab him and pull him out of this mess. _"Nee-hee-hee~!"_

He falls silent for a moment as I continue my search...and then surprises me by blowing gently at the back of my ear and neck. At first, it's so light that I almost brush it off to be on accident. After all, it might be a sigh of boredom of something…

But then he does it again, this time slightly harder of a blow, and I feel my face light on fire as a result. Kokichi cackles noticeably when I shiver upon the third one and resist the urge to move away, willing myself not curl up into myself defensively as a way to escape the torture.

"S-Stop that," I demand, causing the violet haired young man to answer, "Stop what?"

He does it again and I whimper, unable to focus on trying to get him out since I can't stop thinking about his stupid blowing on my neck.

 _"_ _That!_ Stop blowing on my neck!" I complain, only to hear my whine get louder when he repeats the detestable action.

"Nee-hee~! You sound like a theremin!" He comments half laughing.

"Ugh, I hate you!" I shoot back at him.

"Really? You do~? How sweet! Why are you still trying to help me then?" He coos, blowing on my neck again as I struggle to focus on moving the grass- getting my fingers tangled several times in the process.

"'Cause when you say no one else would probably help, trust me, _I believe you,"_ I grumble, before using my head to push his aside when he blows on my neck again. He just chuckles and does it again, making me nudge his head again with mine. _"Kokichi!"_

"Uh...what are you two doing?"

With a rush of shameful guilt that makes no sense since of _course_ I wasn't doing anything weird to Kokichi myself, I yank my hands out of the grass and jump back to see who's just walked in on our predicament. My face is an unbearable bright red, and I immediately cover it up with my hair and rub my tortured neck to try and erase the feeling of Kokichi's blowing.

"I wasn't doing anything!" I yelp, just as Kokichi combats my words easily with, "She tried to take advantage of me!"

It takes me a moment after registering the familiar blonde girl and the shy boy with the cap that's walked in on us before I realize what Kokichi's blurted out. My hands drop to reveal my offended expression of betrayal as I turn towards the violet devil.

"H-Hey, I was _helping_ you! I could have just walked off and left you…" I trail off when Kokichi shrugs right out of the grass, casually brushing his clothes free of grass and dirt and eyeing his state of dress critically to make sure he isn't missing anything. I repeat myself, though it's more of an echo than a conscious repetition. "...you…"

Kokichi looks up at me finally, wearing a small innocent smile as our eyes meet.

"...You...are _despicable…"_ I finish bitterly, spinning around on my heel with a furious huff and marching away without a second glance back.

 _Liar, liar, LIAR!_ I think furiously. How is it that Kokichi so easily summons this hell fire of rage from inside me? It's actually incredible now that I think about it… Incredible, but annoying. I still hate it!

"Hey, wait up!"

Since the voice that calls out to me isn't that of a demon spawn so evil that hell itself spat him right out, I stop and look back to wait for them to catch up. Slowing to a stop behind me is the blonde and her shy looking friend- flanked by stupid _Oma._ I can feel that my face is still somewhat red from the social humiliation, but I manage not to cover my face with my hair this time.

"A-Aren't you-?" The blonde girl with the white hair clips- now bearing white music notes after the bears had dressed her up before the last reset- asks breathlessly. She straightens up and eyes me up and down with a smile of awe as she asks, but she's quickly cut off before she can finish.

"The _worst_ ultimate here? Wow, how'd you guess that so quickly?! That's right!" Kokichi cheerfully states, eyes sparkling with glee as he turns my way. "Hey, Prairie Dog, don't be so rude! Introduce yourself!"

I narrow my eyes on him but let my gaze drift back to the other two instead so I don't tempt myself with trying to obliterate his toes again. Rantaro would be disappointed if I did that again, and I was at least lucky enough that he doesn't remember my transgressions from the last two resets.

"No, that's not what I was going to say," the girl huffs in Kokichi's direction, making him snicker to himself with a sly look. "But if you're calling her that...then that means I'm right. You really _are_ her then! You're Perf-!"

"I'm Prairie Marble," I answer her before she can say anything pertaining to Perfect Blitz. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion at my interruption.

"Uh...yeah, we know that much. But you're-" the other more timid seeming boy starts, before I cut him off to repeat in a firmer voice, "I'm _Prairie Marble,_ I said."

…

 _Are they seriously not getting the message?_ I wonder, trying to convey my intentions with pleading eyes to get either stranger to not say anything. At least not while Kokichi is here.

All three of them are quiet for a moment- Kokichi with an indiscernible blank expression and the other two with matching puzzled looks...before Kokichi eventually grows bored of it and breaks the silence.

"How do you two know she's Prairie Marble already? Ooo! Ooo! Did you two keep your memories from the resets too then? Hey, Prairie Dog, looks like you're not the only freak around then!" Kokichi laughs brightly, reminding me of a particularly bright pink bear I really don't like.

"Huh? Resets…? No, we're talking about…or actually, what are _you_ talking about?" The girl asks, prompting Kokichi to shrug dramatically and gesture my way.

"Don't ask me. Ask the cute little mousey here~! When I politely asked her, she wouldn't tell me anything," Kokichi explains, looking suddenly upset to the point that tears start to form at the corners of his eyes. How does he do that? How can he make honest-looking faces like that at will?

Well, anyways…!

"Oh. Yeah, _politely_. The knife he was pointing at me spoke volumes of politeness. I always know my manners are on point when I tell someone I'm going to gut them like a pig," I drawl in obvious exasperation, watching Kokichi rock back and forth on his heels as his tears vanish and his expression jumps to amusement.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures! Aw...you don't think I would have actually _hurt_ you, do you, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi looks so honest saying this that I bite off any other sarcastic remark or vehement objection I have at the tip of my tongue, 'cause of course why _would_ he hurt me?

It's that moment that my brain decides to remind me why we're all here though, and my objection dies away with my voice and my temper. Noticing this sudden cool down just by observing my face alone, Kokichi blinks and plasters the usual fake smile to his face. One would think this would be the moment where he tries to fish more answers out of me, but he surprisingly doesn't.

 _We wouldn't all be here if we weren't capable of…_ I think again, trailing off and looking toward the unidentified pair among us. _I'm right, aren't I?_

I try to shake off my bad thoughts and force a small smile on my face.

"So who are you two?" I ask, looking at one and the other until they seem to relax and forget the topic we were just discussing. Well, at least they let it _slide_ past without further prompting for answers.

"Oh! W-Well, I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist! And this is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective," the blonde girl explains brightly, prompting my eyes to flick towards Shuichi in surprise.

 _Huh...I guess I can tick that off my list of cliché ultimate abilities. Who would have thought._

"Uh, if you're gonna ask me whether I've found a way out already or not, I'm sorry but I haven't," Shuichi responds to my lingering gaze, causing me to blink and shake my head as a result.

"I wasn't. I already know there's no way out of here. Well, no way that's _pleasant_ at least…" I comment purposefully, already turning to leave.

"Wait! Prairie, do you know-?!" I hear Shuichi call after me the further I get, but I just keep ignoring him until I enter the school building, jogging once the door shuts behind me and slowing down as I near the gymnasium.

Looking around to make sure I'm alone, I blow out a quiet breath of relief and lean over with my hands on my knees. Well, at least the bears didn't deem that little comment worthy of a third strike…

I straighten back up and turn to look at the gate blocking the way into the gym. Reaching out, I try to pull it open by the knob there, but it holds fast just like the knob in the building with all our rooms. My eyebrows knit together in a frown when I peer past the metal bars at the doors to the gym. Why is it locked _this_ time?

…

Glancing up, I see a gap just above the gated door- enough to climb and jump down to the other side.

 _...I could climb this._

"Nee-hee-hee!" I resist the urge to roll my eyes and sigh even heavier than before. "Shuichi and Kaede are probably still scratching their heads back there. I think I made it worse!"

"...Right. W-Why are you following me now?" I ask, looking back at the boy and flinching back in surprise when he immediately lunges forward towards me, prompting me to close my eyes and wait for the worst. It isn't until I feel something touch my ear that I peek open an eye timidly and reach up to see what Kokichi's tucked in my hair.

"...? A flower?" I ask in confusion, not quite sure what to think at this point. What's Kokichi doing putting a flower in my hair? Is this some kind of trick?

"Yep! See? I can be nice too! ...Well, I could be lying. But I could also be lying about lying. But I could also be lying about lying about lying. But I could also be-"

Having had quite enough of his shenanigans, I grab the vertical bars behind me and easily climb them like second nature, pulling myself up into the notch and sliding in on the other side. When I land on both feet and look back at Kokichi through the bars, his eyes are sparkling in awe.

"Whoooa! How cool! Okay, that seems easy enough!" Kokichi chirps, leaving me to watch as he grabs the bars...and slides back down with a look of confusion. "Uh...okay, maybe if I just…"

Kokichi tries to climb it. He tries _very_ hard. After the fifth breathless attempt to go higher than one jump though, he stops and leans against the gate to catch his breath.

"Alright, I guess I...can't climb it then…! No big deal…! You can't run very far anyways...!" Kokichi barely manages through his panting, making peace with his failed climbing attempts and giving me a bright wave and smile. "I'll just wait here till you get back!"

 _...Well, I guess he's not bothering me right now… Shoot, I'm definitely gonna regret this later, but-_

I jump back up on the gate and climb up to the notch, sitting at the top and leaning down to hold out a hand to him. He looks mildly surprised behind his expression of amusement, glancing at my hand and then up at me. After a minute of deciding, he takes my hand and I pull him up high enough to reach the notch with his free hand, helping him until we land on the other side of the gate.

"You might regret trusting me like this, Prairie Dog~!" Kokichi chirps in a sing-song voice as I head towards the gym doors ahead of him. "I still have a knife, you know?"

At that, I tap one of my climbing clips from my belt on the sheath of the blade at my hip for him to see- not even looking back in his direction to check if he can see what I mean since I already know he's watching me anyways.

"Hey, you didn't have that before! Did you find it at the warehouse? Or what?" Kokichi inquires, just as I push open the double doors and step inside.

 _Nothing new in here… It's exactly the same way it looked the last times I'd come in during the multiple resets._

"One of the monokubs gave it to me to cut a root in the middle of one hallway since-" I start, only for Kokichi to give me a strange look unlike most of his usual fake smiles or blank expressions.

"Uh, hold on. Why the heck would you be cutting a root for _any_ reason? What are you, a trash collector?" Kokichi asks, raising an eyebrow my way as I stutter to explain myself- even though I shouldn't have to since I don't owe Kokichi any explanation.

"B-Because! Someone could trip and hurt themselves! Especially if they're running around with a…" I trail off, watching Kokichi's eyes widen and a grin of realization start to form on his face as the implications of my words start to click in his mind. My face catches fire, turning bright red with shame. _"No!_ No, that's not it! Stop that! S-Stop it right now, that's _not_ the reason!"

 _"_ _Awwww~!_ Prairie Dog, you were worried about ME!" Kokichi shouts loud enough that it echoes in the gym, making me cringe and pray no one is around to hear him. He grins and opens his arms, suddenly causing my stomach to drop as I read his intentions. "A sweet angel like you deserves a _biiig_ hug from these very boyish arms that are in no way feminine whatsoever! Since I know you just _looove_ boys so much!"

I back away a step when I see him start to advance quickly, only turning away to run from him when I realize he's not kidding.

"Eeek! No, get away from me! You're just doing this because of what I said before!" I complain, before feeling his hand grab onto the back of my suit and yank me back in a hug that quite nearly squeezes all the air out of my lungs. For such a skinny guy, he's got an iron grip…! "No! No! Let go!"

I squirm and whine pathetically until he finishes squeezing the life out of me, allowing me air after a few minutes and laughing as I catch my breath and jump back several steps away from him.

"...Oh yeah! You were telling me where you got this knife!" Kokichi chirps, suddenly holding up my sheathed knife with a very innocent grin. Surprised to see him holding it, I look down at my belt and let out a noise of offense, grimacing as I march back towards him and snatch it out of his hand.

"A-As I was saying before you went and _assaulted_ me…" Kokichi lets out his trademark laugh, looking quite proud of his work as I half cover my face with my hair and my knife. "I cut a root in the hall and when I tried to give it back, Monosuke said it's better I kept it," I answer honestly, since I don't need to hide that.

"Oh, so you know the names of those bears? ...Interesting. And why would it be better if you were carrying a knife with you, Prairie dog? I don't see them offering knives to anyone else, which is kind of funny! I mean, since you seem to have an idea of what's going on...that kind of makes you a bit suspicious," Kokichi comments slyly, prompting me to drop the hair from my face now that my blush has mostly settled.

"Why's that?" I ask, turning to walk towards the center of the gym so I can get a better look around...and get some extra space away from Kokichi. Obviously more out of comfort than out of guilt from his words, since I know very well I'm not in any way associated with why we're all here.

"Well, I'd suspect the person that kidnapped us all and brought us here would be the one that would know the most out of all of us. Don't you?"

I pause at his logic and look back to find him grinning innocently at me.

"Are you implying I could be the kidnapper then? A…" I pause to make air quotations with my fingers to quote him, " _'little wimp_ ' like me?"

Kokichi seems somewhat amused by my attitude, cocking his head to the side slightly and pressing a finger to his chin like he'd _never_ suggest something like that. Since he doesn't verbally answer though, his true words shine through.

 _Hey, it's not like I know who I am anyways. He could probably be right… I could be part of this Danganronpa team that kidnapped them all and just accidentally forgot. It would explain the chocolate (if it really helped stop subsequent erasures of my memories). Heck, maybe I even_ _ **asked**_ _the monokubs to bully me beforehand so none of the others would consider me to be a "traitor" or-_

"Yoo-hoo~! Little Mousey! Don't doze off on me like that, I was _lying,_ that's all! Of course you wouldn't be the person that kidnapped us all, you're too nice to be evil~" Kokichi snaps me out of my dark thoughts, patting the top of my head with a grin and a laugh.

It's too late though, he can't remedy my thoughts anymore since I'm already theorizing how the scenario could be true. Memories help shape a person's personality, as well as experiences. For all I know, the Prairie Marble everyone recognizes died when I got amnesia. After all, apparently I'm nothing like her.

 _She_ isn't nice.

Kokichi's smile fades into that unreadable look he sometimes sports.

"...I have amnesia, but...if I _am_ a cause for us all being here…" I start to say, noting the slight flash in Kokichi's eyes as he observes me. "I think I'll beat _myself_ up- what kind of an idiot goes and throws themself in a-"

"Hmm? A what-now?" Kokichi actually cuts me off, much to my surprise. He smiles and folds his arms behind his head casually. "Well, you know...unless you _do_ wanna tell me why we're all here and would like those bears to really go through with killing you. Then be my guest! I'm _all_ ears!"

 _...He stopped me from saying it._

"Wow. I almost stopped to wonder whether you _actually_ lead an evil organization, but I just remembered all the torture you've put me through since I've first met you. In case you're wondering, my trust in you just went from negative twenty, to negative nineteen."

Before Kokichi can comment anything else like he appears to want to-

 ** _ **DING-DONG, BING-BONG!**_**

The sound of the bell makes Kokichi and I pause and look around, until something near the back of the gym where the stage is catches my attention. There's a screen with buttons and loud speakers around it. Curious, I jog on over to it, followed by Kokichi as we watch a picture appear on the screen.

Unsurprisingly, it's the monokubs. Sharing a look, Kokichi and I sit down on the stage to watch together.

 ** _ **End of 1.10 - Trickster**_**

* * *

 **A/N:** Aaaaaa! All your comments give me an overwhelming amount of writing power! It's over 9000!

 _To Nameless Guest-Person :_ Thank you for the motivational fuel! I'm working hard to make the story as awesome as possible! :D

 _To 03Isabella : _I'm glad you're enjoying it, thank you so much for reading! And lol, I sort of want to keep it _away_ from being a harem, but Yeeesss, Rantaro/Shuichi/Kokichi is gold~


	11. 1:11 - Instigation

_**1.11 - Instigation**_

" _Hello, hello! How are you all enjoying your new home?"_ That's the sound of Monotaro speaking, sounding at ease and completely relaxed as he lifts up a fancy glass with a lemon wedge at the side- complete with a much to fancy straw.

All of the bears are shown on the monitor seated on a couch together as if on vacation somewhere. Why? Who knows. Those bears value theatrics much more than logic, from what I can see.

" _Who gives a shit?! We're waiting for you BASTARDS!"_ Monokid howls, raising a paw to throw down his drink before he seems to think twice and stops himself. Likely due to the "no littering" rule and whatnot…

...Now that I think about it, those bears are robots. Can they even drink that stuff they're holding?

" _With that said...everyone and Ugly!"_ Monophanie chirps, prompting a slight grunt of disapproval on my part that makes Kokichi glance my way for a moment. " _Please head on over to the gymnasium on the first floor immediately!"_

" _HELL YEAH! The entrance ceremony's gonna start!_ _ **Finally!"**_ Monokid howls with vigor again. How the other bears don't get annoyed with him is beyond me. Maybe because they're equally as obnoxious and annoying as he is?

" _Yeah, we've finally gotten everything prepared! Took us long enough- NO THANKS TO_ _ **UGLY**_ _OUT THERE!"_ Monotaro stresses, startling the other bears when he takes the plunge to whip his glass down against the ground with a shatter and jumps furiously on the couch. " _AARRG! She makes me so angry, and I can't remember why!"_

I roll my eyes but say nothing. So far, only Rantaro would know they're talking about me when they refer to someone as "Ugly", but whatever. The one I don't want realizing who they mean by it is Kokichi- it would suck if he replaced "Prairie Dog" with "Ugly". By far, both "Prairie Dog" and "Mousey" are a whole lot more tolerable than "Ugly" is…

" _Don't worry, Monotaro! We'll get back at Ugly for giving you amnesia! She'll definitely pay for being so un-cute! But for now…"_ Monophanie continues, causing Monotaro to stop jumping on the couch.

" _ **So long~! Bear well~!"**_

As soon as the monitor to the screen clicks off, Kokichi hums in thought.

"' _Ugly'..._ I guess they're talking about that donkey-lipped one from before!" Kokichi laughs, making me gape in his direction for that little insulting observation he's made of Himiko. I really, _really_ hope Himiko treasured those pre-Kokichi moments of hers…

"That's so mean, Kokichi! Don't you dare call her that to her face," I object, casting him a frown that only makes his grin widen as his laughter abruptly cuts off. He throws me a sly look, violet eyes narrowed on me.

"That's not mean, it's the truth! ...Probably. Come on, Prairie Dog, you see the donkey lip too, don't you? Go ahead and admit it. I mean, you knew exactly who I was talking about after all! Himiko popped right in your head when I said it, and I didn't even hint at it being a girl!"

I break off in a stutter of guilt at the call out, unable to form a good enough defense since...well, he's right. Himiko _did_ pop up in my head straight away when he said "donkey lip".

" _Nee-hee-hee~!_ So I guess that makes you just as terrible as I am! No surprise though, I don't think you're as innocent as you make yourself out to be. You and I are a bit similar, don't you think? You just...need someone to teach you how to reach your full potential, so to speak!" He exclaims, gesturing to himself with a quirky smile of childlike innocence. "Like using our cuteness to get what we want out of other people!"

I scoff at that, crossing my arms in defiance to show my stance on _that_ idea. "I'd never stoop to you level and take advantage of other people like that. B-Besides, I'm not _that_ cute anyways. If you wanna mentor someone to be a rat like you, teach Himiko or Angie- or something. I'm not interested."

"Oh, I think you're very cute!" I can't even keep eye contact with him when he says that, hearing him laugh in amusement as I pull my hair over my face to hide my growing blush of both embarrassment and annoyance with him. _He's_ definitely trying to take advantage of the fact that my brain's like a Jenga tower around boys. "With that said, Angie and Donkey-lips could _never_ pull off the things we could. Besides, don't tell me you've never done it before! It comes natural to us cuties!"

"I-!" I start to object, before trailing off and thinking back to the resets and allowing my eyes to trail down to Kokichi's feet.

Those times when I stomped on his feet during the first two resets and tried to innocently play it off…technically counts whether I got away with it or not. Shoot, he's right, I _have_ done it. Well, let's see if he can tell it's a lie then.

I look straight at Kokichi, frowning at him as I drop my hair from my face. "I haven't," I say with as much composure as I can muster, somewhat proud of myself for not stuttering at all.

Kokichi's violet eyes flash like a polygraph test detecting a lie, making me squeak a little and crumble immediately as he points straight at me off the bat with a gasp.

"A _lie!_ Yes you have!" Kokichi accuses, making me take a step back...and then let out a noise of annoyance when he takes a step closer in response. "Nee-hee~! You're a terrible liar, you know? ...I can teach you how to _lie_ better, too."

I scowl at him. "It's still a no!" I reaffirm, watching as he sighs and shifts his balance to his other foot to grin at me.

"Anyways, wha'd you get someone to do, Prairie Dog? Got someone to buy you stuff? Or do your homework for you?"

"What the…?! Are those all things you've gotten other people to do?!" I ask, watching Kokichi throw me a wacky grin as his only confirmation. "Sheesh, you really _are_ nothing like me. B-Besides! I don't remember anything before we woke up here, I already told you that, so I wouldn't know if I've ever done something like that!"

Kokichi whistles, making me blush with shame when I realize he's caught me lying without me even _noticing_ I was lying in the first place. " _Liiiar!_ You know exactly when you used your cuteness to your advantage! I'm guessing it was during one of those times I forgot with everyone else, huh? So what was it? Did you trick Rantaro to always come at your beck and call? _Oooo,_ you _naughty_ girl!"

He's _way_ too amused by this!

"Hey, you two! What's goin' on, huh?" Kokichi and I look up to turn towards the speaker, Kaito joining us in the gym wearing a jolly grin. Clearly he has no idea what he's just walked into. Some of the others are coming into the gym now too, but I'm much too busy thinking of a way to shut dumb Kokichi up before anyone else can believe any of his lies.

Not to mention I'd be _mortified_ if Rantaro heard what Kokichi was saying about me somehow manipulating him!

"Prairie Dog used her cuteness to psychologically manipulate Rantaro to do her every bidding!" Kokichi accuses, making my cheeks fire up even though it's not the truth.

"Shut up! Stop saying that, you know that's not true!" I snap, trying to control my temper and voice.

"Oh? But you seem so taken with him! I wouldn't blame you if you did it to get his attention, he _is_ good looking. I mean-" Kokichi lurches a step back quickly with his trademark laugh when I take an aggressive step towards him. Unfortunately, Kaito stops me just before I can get far enough to teach Kokichi a lesson of my own, pulling me back by my arm with a nervous laugh. " _Hoo-ho!_ That's a guilty reaction if I've ever seen one!"

"Don't let him get under your skin, Prairie! We all know you're not like that, don't worry. Just ignore him!" Kaito reassures me with a smile, turning to lead me towards the other arriving ultimates.

"Yeah, Prairie, don't let me get under your skin! Listen to the Neil Armstrong wannabe with the creepy goatee!"

Kaito and I glance back, Kaito looking a bit less composed as we then share a look and roll our eyes together. He shakes his head, obviously a way of quietly saying "he's not worth it".

" _Nee-hee-hee!_ Sure, you two keep rolling your eyes if you want. In fact, if you're lucky, maybe you'll even find a brain or something back there!" Kokichi grins wider when Kaito and I slowly turn to give him dark scathing glares of warning. My temper is teetering right at the edge- to the point where I just might toss aside my inhibitions to deliver some justice to the gremlin from hell. "Oh, well, except for you, Kaito. After first introductions, I'm sure everyone can agree the inside of your head is as empty as the deep space you love so much!"

This time Kaito lunges first, but he's quickly apprehended by a verbally apologetic Gonta behind him. I, on the other hand, am longer being held back by Kaito.

Seeing my chance at this moment of freedom, I deftly dodge Gonta's attempt to catch me with an arm around my waist and dart around the two. I make a direct pounce for Kokichi, noticing just a sliver of surprise from the teen's face.

Just when I think I'm about to stick the landing and tackle him to the ground, however, a pair of arms snap around me and catch me in midair much to both our surprise. I struggle a little to push out of their grip for a moment since my arms aren't pinned down or anything, but when I notice the many rings and bracelets adorning the person's hands and wrists, I stop. I make a small noise of objection, but cease my squirming to simply mad-dog Kokichi as Rantaro effortlessly carries me away from the evil twerp.

Kokichi doesn't say anything, but he does snicker to himself as I'm towed away, grinning in amusement.

"Just so you know, I hope both your feet still hurt, _jerk,"_ I call back over to him, noting his expression waver just slightly as he shifts his feet and then narrows his eyes with a smirk. Whether he's realized what I mean by that is not too important to me, since Rantaro sets me down once we're far away enough from Kokichi.

As my feet hit the ground, I pull away from Rantaro and give him my back as I cover the bottom half of my face with my hair and avert my gaze to the ground.

"Prairie-" Rantaro begins, but I cut him off.

"I-I know what you're going to tell me already! So don't bother," I huff, biting my lip and focusing my attention on the floorboards of the gym. Having seen them many times, I recognize the patterns of the wood easily and attempt to get lost in them as I pretend I'm not about to get scolded by Rantaro again for losing my composure with Kokichi again.

"...So you think Kokichi's taunts merit a physical punishment then? And that his words are impossible to ignore?"

"Maybe they do. And yes, he's impossible to ignore," I grumble, feeling my foot start to tap impatiently against the floor as my temper sparks a little more at Rantaro's prodding despite it not being confrontational. "Did we meet the same person, or are you just blind?"

 _Aaah, that was so rude! No, that was a really snarky comment, oh my gosh…! I shouldn't be talking to Rantaro like this-_ _ **Kokichi**_ _is the one who's irritated me! Rantaro doesn't deserve a treatment like this!_

At first, I think I've gone and finished off whatever insane patience Rantaro has had when dealing with me. I'm prepared for the consequences even though I don't actually _want_ to lose Rantaro, but rather than doing the reasonable thing and simply taking a step back from my wounded ego to apologize, I stand rooted in my spot and hold my breath. I count the taps of my foot as I wait for Rantaro to either walk away or lash back verbally, even if only a little bit.

…

"Hm."

… _? "Hm"? That's it? What kind of a reaction is that?! Why is Rantaro such a weirdo?!_

Rantaro walks around me, reaching up over my left ear to finger the flower that's still tucked there from where Kokichi left it. I feel it loosen from it's spot and make a small growl as I pull back from Rantaro's fingers to shoot him a look. Reaching up, I wind a small lock of my hair around the stem to keep it in place over my ear, swatting his hand further away so he doesn't try to touch it again. He smiles and pulls his hand back when he gets the message, mildly irritating me when I realize he's totally composed and not at all offended by my words or actions.

"That looks pretty on you. Where'd you get it?" Rantaro decides to ask, much to my embarrassment when my expression shifts a little at the almost...knowing look in his green eyes.

 _No...did he see us when Kokichi and I hopped the gate into the gymnasium? When Kokichi went and put the stupid flower in my hair…?!_

My face turns bright red and I look down dismissively, peeking up at him every few moments.

"I...I'm not telling you…" I grumble, prompting Rantaro's smile to brighten a little more. At this point, I've stopped tapping my foot and a majority of my anger has turned into discomfort and embarrassment at the fact that me still having Kokichi's flower in my hair, especially after I've gotten so upset with him, proves I'm not _entirely_ as angry with Kokichi as I want to be.

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't want to admit it. Instead, how about you think of that flower whenever you feel like he's upset you? I'm not saying you have to be his best friend or anything like that. Just try not to beat him up or lose your head around him is all. Remember, you're just giving him exactly what he wants when you get angry," Rantaro explains, making me bite my lip in consideration.

...Eventually, I take a deep breath and nod as my irritation and discomfort leaves me in one single exhale.

"Feel better?" Rantaro asks with a smile, reaching over to rub the back of my neck warmly. Hiding my face with my hair, I let go of my pride and nod in confirmation, hearing Rantaro let out a small breath of amusement.

 _I'm an insult to humanity,_ I think shamefully, releasing my hair to give Rantaro a hug.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you," I apologize, hearing him hum in understanding.

"That's okay, Prairie. I'm just glad you understand," Rantaro replies, a smile in his voice as I press my forehead against his chest when his arms wrap around me comfortingly. It's after I pull away from him that I finally tune into the conversation around us, playing with the fabric of my gloves restlessly.

Now we wait, I guess...

"Everyone! Putting your guard down is prohibited! We don't know what we're dealing with yet, so be wary! Danger might be hiding just around the corner," Kiibo announces as a reminder, causing Kokichi to make a sullen face as tears prick at the corners of his violet eyes.

"D-Don't remind me, I don't want to talk about danger! I'm scared…" He whines pathetically, while I just quietly stare from afar with a bit of a deadpan.

"There's no need to worry! Atua is most certainly watching over us as we speak!" Angie pipes up cheerfully, bouncing restlessly on her heels. Whether she's doing it out of excitement or it's just a sort of nervous tick, I've got no clue.

"Oh, really? I see! I guess everything's fine then!" Kokichi exclaims as he faces Angie with a sudden look of glee, matching her energy and also bouncing on his heels until Angie giggles. My eye twitches slightly at the sight.

 _Angie wouldn't be giggling with him if she knew he was the devil incarnate,_ I think, just as I feel Rantaro put an arm over my shoulder as if noticing my gaze on Kokichi and reminding me to relax. I feel the tension in my body ease up, just as Miu lets out a scoff that I can't help but quietly cheer at in my head.

"Tch! Is there some sorta flower field in your brains, or what? I'll spray that shit with pesticides!" Miu snaps aggressively, making my hand fly up to my lips again at the profanity. Granted, at least it's not as much as when I first ran into her.

"Aw, relax, Miu! Don't worry about a thing, leave it all to us!" Kaito jumps in, looking much more composed than he had when Kokichi had originally first ticked us off. He punches a fist against his palm, grinning with determination. "The next time those teddy bears show up, I'm gonna wreck them so badly they'll be unrecognizable!"

I must be the first one that notices the sound of a distant Exisal, because when I hear the thumps headed our way in an almost _sneaky_ manner, my breath hitches enough to make Rantaro look at me. It isn't until Ryoma leans over from around Rantaro that I notice his presence as well, though my attention is much more focused on the sounds of the mechas.

"Something wrong, Prairie?" Rantaro inquires curiously as I look up towards the ceiling where the Exisals will soon be descending down from. Eventually, at least.

Gonta straightens up next, fixing his glasses as he listens.

"Eh? ….What that sound?" The gentle giant asks, red eyes scanning the gymnasium quickly while I just stare up quietly.

"What sound?" Ryoma asks. "Prairie, why are you staring up at…?"

Ryoma trails off, presumably since they jump into view above just as his eyes land on the mechas that jump over the wall just like I'd expected them to.

The weight of all five Exisals shakes the gym as they surround us with loud crashing sounds of metal hitting metal. Although I'm expecting it and see it coming, I still can't help but flinch as a result of the noises, inching closer to Rantaro in case one of them tries to grab me.

 _Then again, what if it doesn't matter whether I'm next to Rantaro and they just go ahead and grab the both of us?_

While a couple of the other students scream and back away from the imposing machines, I try to jump away from Rantaro. I only take a few steps away before he catches my wrist and tugs me back towards himself with a confused look of alarm when I resist his pulls.

"No, Prairie, stay close! It's dangerous!" Rantaro firmly exclaims, only making me try harder to unlatch his fingers from around my wrist.

"E-Exactly!" I object, feeling my feet slide towards him when he pulls me back despite my efforts. "It's not safe for _you_ to be near me! They might be angry with me again and-"

"All the _more_ reason you need to stay close," Rantaro replies with a hint of finality, grabbing hold of my arm when I'm close enough and giving me one last tug until I give up. He looks mildly frustrated, more with worrying about me than with dealing with the Exisals. Once I stop fighting him though, he seems to relax substantially.

" _Psh! Looks like there's finally trouble in paradise between those two! HA! I knew their little romance wouldn't last long!"_ Monosuke bluntly scoffs in amusement from his Exisal behind us, prompting me to look somewhere else. This time I'm not embarrassed, but rather scared of making them angry enough that they'd hurt both Rantaro and I.

"W-What even _are_ you monsters?!" Tenko cuts in, obviously flipping out at the sight just on my other side. When did she even get there…?

" _These are the Ultimate Killing Machines! Neato, huh?!"_ Monotaro chirps from inside his mecha joyfully.

" _Hieeeeee!_ I don't _care_ what they're called, don't kill me! My face is too beautiful, go for the ugly ones!" Miu squeals, holding her arms over her face defensively as she cowers back from Monophanie's machine when the bear makes a "playful" swipe at her with the machine's claws.

"You better start running, Himiko~!" Kokichi playfully calls out, cupping his hands around his mouth and sneaking a look back my way. I look away quickly in response.

Maybe I'd laugh a _little_ if we weren't surrounded by these menacing Exisals.

Maybe I'd laugh a little if the bears weren't all snickering in the mechas and all turning to look at Rantaro and I simultaneously- the red lasers all locking on my chest at the same time. Seeing this, Rantaro moves to stand in front of me with a glare at the Exisals.

"Nyeh…? What are you suddenly worried about me for?" Himiko inquires, sweating just a tad bit more.

"Everyone, _wait._ You don't have to be so panicked. If they were gonna kill us, they would have done it a long time ago," Rantaro surprisingly speaks up after a moment, turning towards Tenko and taking her hand. Before she can object like she appears to want to, he puts her hand around my wrist and faces her. "Don't let go of her, okay?"

Tenko, looking mildly puzzled, evidently nods as he steps away from us and releases my wrist from his iron grip. The second I see him walking towards the Exisals, my stomach drops and I make a barely perceptible whimper of fear. I only take only one step to follow him before Tenko pulls me back and shakes her head at me.

Rantaro himself doesn't even hesitate as he places himself directly in front of Monosuke's Exisal, bravely looking up at it without even a perceivable hint of fear. Basically, the polar opposite of my wimpy self… it's a wonder he even bothers with me at all since we're so different.

"So, what do you want with us? You're imposing the threat of violence on us, after all. That tells me if we don't do what you want, you'll go through with that threat." Rantaro smiles a little, shrugging as if this were a totally natural situation. "Well, you have our attention. What are those demands?"

 _He's gonna get_ _ **himself**_ _killed, why was I worrying about taking a wrong step myself?! I should have been the one holding onto_ _ **his**_ _arm!_ I think in frustration, trying to sneak out of Tenko's hold discreetly only for her to tighten her grip around my wrist.

" _Hehehe, you have quite the sharp intuition! For a_ _ **wise ass**_ _, that is!"_ Monosuke chuckles.

" _Well then, I'll say it! What we want all seventeen of you to participate in is REALLY DAMN EXCITING! HAHAHAHA!"_ Monokid shouts, obviously building the anticipation for their demands. " _I'm gonna say it! You ready?! You idiots are going to play a-"_

" _MUTUAL-KILLING-GAME,"_ Monodam surprisingly cuts Monokid off, completely breaking the climax. I look to the green Exisal in surprise, only for the green bear to seemingly notice and turn its Exisal the other way from where I am. Is this something similar to Kokichi's fake-outs? Trying to win sympathy and play the "good cop" of sorts? ...Maybe the most dangerous bear here isn't Monokuma after all…

"...Eh?" Kaede shakily queries while I watch the other Exisals carefully. Rantaro... _stupid_ Rantaro! He's too close to them! It's starting to drive me crazy! I just want him to take a few steps back, for goodness sake!

" _MONODAM! YOU STOLE MY FUCKIN' LINE!"_

"Um, wh-what did he just say…?" Tenko chokes out, pulling me slightly behind her as a result of the revelation. If only she could do that with the reckless green _moron_ up there…

"If I heard him correctly, I believe he said-" Kirumi starts to answer, before Monodam cuts her off as well to repeat, " _MUTUAL-KILLING-GAME."_

" _Aaaah! He said it again!"_ Monotaro tattles as if we didn't already notice.

" _GAH! I'm really fuckin' pissed! I'm gonna break your Exisal, Monodam!"_ Monokid howls with exaggerated displeasure, obviously worked up by Monodam stealing his thunder.

One of the drills on Monokid's Exisal activates, spinning wildly enough that I make another attempt to get to Rantaro when I realize Tenko has momentarily released my wrist. Of course, I only make it a few steps forward before she snags my arm and reels me back in. "No, no! Stay with me, Prairie, it's dangerous," she scolds me, prompting me to settle down with a chastised look as my arm is once again held hostage.

" _Guys, guys, there's no need for fighting amongst ourselves!"_ Monophanie tries to mediate the squabble between her brothers, though it doesn't seem to work too well towards her favor when Monotaro jumps in to fiercely add, " _That's right! Because_ _ **I'm**_ _the one who'll be breaking the Exisals!"_

At Monotaro's proclamation, a thought pops up in my head enough to somewhat settle my initial nerves.

 _If they break all the Exisals, doesn't that mean they won't have anything to threaten us with?_ I wonder momentarily before biting my lip and looking away. _No. It can't possibly be that simple- they probably would have something to back up the Exisals if they were to get damaged. The only question is what_ that _might be…_

" _Why are you joining the fight, Monotaro?! If this happens, I'm breaking all four Exisals!"_ Monophanie cries out, perking up Monosuke's attention as his Exisal turns to look at her.

" _All_ ' _ **four'**_ _of us? Are you talking about me too?! If so,_ _ **bring it on!"**_ Monosuke is soon shouting as well, much to many of the other student's disbelief. Four of them are out of control, but Monodam seems to be the only one standing there awkwardly as if out of place in the situation.

 _...Do it,_ I think to myself, mouth already opening.

" _You wanna fight?!"_

" _1 Vs 1 me!"_

" _YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"_

" _Jeez! All of you are awful! I won't hold back, even if I am cute!"_

"You can't fight!" I shout at the top of my lungs, feeling my heart kick up speed as everyone in the gym slowly turns to look at me. I tune the eyes out and focus on the Exisals. I've got to be smart about this, but not too smart. Just dumb enough for the bears to understand and insulting enough that they don't attack _me_ instead…!

" _Who asked YOU?!"_

"Nobody. I'm just saying based on Television logic and primary color hierarchy...Monotaro would trump over all four of you since he's the red one," I say simply, watching as Monokid's drill stops dead and silence fills the gym.

Looking around, I see Rantaro looking back at me and shaking his head in disapproval, but I choose to ignore the walking green hypocrite. He wants to be reckless? Fine. That means I'm allowed to be reckless if necessary too.

After a moment of the extended silence-

"Um, well… I mean, she's actually right. Red characters hold the spot as the leader for most animes, cartoons, and fantasy/sci-fi genres," that one blue haired girl comments thoughtfully, followed by a laugh from Kokichi.

"Hey, don't you bears even _flank_ the red one whenever you all appear? He's obviously the top dog whether the rest of you admit it or not, which means he really _can_ kick all your asses!" Kokichi laughs, prompting me to sneak a glance his way curiously. I wonder if he knows what I'm trying to do and is helping, or if he's just messing around as usual for the fun of it. Whatever the reason, at least his input can help throw more wood into the fire.

" _You heard them! Beautiful is right, I'm the leader and I'm the best!"_ Monotaro cheers, pointing at Monokid's face until the blue Exisal swats his metal claw away. Meanwhile, Monophanie is screeching with offense and what he's called me again.

" _THAT'S BULLSHIT!"_ Monokid snaps, drill activating a second time with a greater intensity. At that, Rantaro wisely backs off and starts to make his way back to Tenko and I. He's got his eyes narrowed on me- I better keep talking before he gets here and shuts me up.

"Technically though, blue is a formidable opponent for red as far as colors go, so Monokid has the _slightest_ chance of actually overcoming Monotaro since blue is either at red's level or number two in the primary color hierarchy," I continue, walking backwards when I realize Rantaro is getting closer. At this point, I realize Tenko is also trying to sneak her way towards me to quiet me before I get myself killed, but I sidestep and drift around some of the other students, skirting past Kaito quickly who attempts to also catch me- hand up to his lips for me to shush when he misses. "Then come the other colors like green and pink, which are about the same level-wise, and smack in the middle of the hierarchy."

I stop and look over at Monosuke's Exisal, conveniently having placed myself at the far end of the gym and allowing Rantaro to close in on me as I channel my inner Kokichi for just a moment.

"Sorry, Monosuke, but you're pretty much dead last. Your Exisal would be the first to get destroyed, since everyone knows yellow is the absolute _worst_ color in the hierarchy," I comment casually, watching the yellow Exisal as it goes still and processes my words. Rantaro grabs me by my waist and pulls me back so I'm as close as possible to where he can run off with me if necessary.

…

" _AHAHAA! MONOSUKE'S THE FUCKIN' RUNT!"_ Monokid bursts out laughing, only for the yellow Exisal to suddenly dash forwards towards him to slam his drill towards Monokid's mecha with killing intent.

" _We'll see about that, you_ _ **dumbass!**_ _Whether you're number two or not, you're still a piece of shit! No one likes your creepy chest hair, you_ _ **poor excuse for a bear!"**_ Monosuke snaps back, before a pair of mecha claw makes satisfying contact with the sides of both Monosuke and Monokid's mechas.

" _I'm the leader, get back in line, you scumbags!"_ Monotaro barks, sounding high with pride as the other ultimates back off nervously.

"W-Was that absolutely necessary, Blitz…?! Nyeeeh, I totally pegged you wrong…!" Himiko speaks up, scurrying back with Angie, Kiibo and Kirumi to get further away from the Exisals as Monophanie jumps into the fray, kicking and completely knocking Monotaro over with an eardrum popping metallic clank.

" _How dare you call Perfect Blitz anything but_ _ **UGLY!**_ _I'm gonna make sure your Exisal never gets up again! Hmph!"_ Monophanie shouts, receiving a smack to the back of her Exisal from Monosuke who's then knocked back by Monokid uppercutting him from below.

" _I'LL BE NUMBER ONE, JUST WATCH ME! And_ _ **SHUT UP**_ _Monophanie, you're_ _ **UGLY TOO!"**_ Monokid bellows, grabbing her Exisal by the left arm and turning to throw her back so her Exisal aims to hit Monodam. Monodam just steps out of the way, backing up to avoid the fight just as much as the other ultimates.

"Prairie, what was that?" Rantaro snaps me out of watching with a harsh whisper, shaking my shoulder roughly so I look up at him. I throw his narrowed gaze a sharp look of defiance, twisting my lips in annoyance.

"I don't know. What was that when you walked up to them all willy-nilly?" I huff, looking away when I notice a shadow of disapproval crawl over his features and trying to shrug off his arms from around me. Surprisingly, he only tightens his grip and pulls me back more so most of us ultimates are closer towards the exit of the gym.

"Nee-hee-hee! I knew you weren't by any means an angel, Prairie Dog, but _sheesh!"_ Kokichi chuckles as he places himself beside Rantaro and I.

"Don't encourage her- and besides, you're just as much to blame for instigating this as _she_ is for that remark you made," Rantaro says to the violet haired boy as I quietly ignore the two of them.

"Oh? All I did was _agree_ though! Am I not allowed to have an opinion…?" Kokichi asks, looking at Rantaro dejectedly from the corner of my eye.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but there's a difference between stating your opinion and stating _an_ opinion for the sole purpose of fueling a violent argument that's likely to get us killed as well," Korekiyo is shooting both Kokichi and I sharp looks when I glance back at him.

I can't help but feel a little guilty with how the others are looking at me since it's my fault the monokubs are fighting, but…I trust my gut. _I definitely trust my gut._ This might just help us, even just a little bit! Even if they have two Exisals left or if all the Exisals are functional but at least somewhat damaged…this will _benefit_ us.

I jump and back up into Rantaro when a metal piece flies and hits the wall close to us, forcing him a step back while the other students also pin themselves by the door and wall. We're all super close together, like a train or bus at maximum capacity.

"...?! The doors are locked!" Kaede cries out, much to the rest of our discomfort.

 _Shoot, I didn't take into account that we might get locked in here!_ I think, feeling a thin layer of sweat start to coat my brow as I reach up to press my fingers against the corners of my eyes and close them n thought. _Now what? Think think...come on, there has to be something we can do, right?_

 _...Kokichi can lockpick._

My eyes snap open in surprise. What?

I look towards Kokichi anyways, knowing I might regret this. I'll have to lie a little so he doesn't realize that I shouldn't know that…but that just begs the question of _how_ I know it. Are they old memories or something? I don't remember ever hearing or seeing Kokichi before my first awakening here, let alone seeing him _lockpick._

"Kokichi, you can unlock the door," I state clearly, watching the violet haired boy's gaze jump to me in surprise. For a moment, he seems to look a bit suspicious, but eventually pulls out a lockpick set from his pocket and smirks my way.

"Of _course_ you'd know that…" He chuckles, turning and pushing past the others who open the way after hearing me. "Fine fine! If it saves our skins from _your_ mistake, then I'd be happy to~"

 _Jerk,_ I think quietly, though I don't fight against his words as we watch the violence between the Exisals increase.

Monotaro has lost one arm of his Exisal, Monosuke throwing it hard against a wall near us that causes a few of the students to either scream or shriek. Looking back, Monophanie's Exisal has one leg completely bent backwards in a ninety-degree angle. Monokid and Monosuke are both completely intact still, going at some kind of sumo wrestling type of fight while Monophanie and Monotaro bash each other with their working limbs.

"Hurry, you damn half-pint, are we waiting for the fuckin' grass to grow?!" Miu shrieks, gripping the back of Kokichi's jacket as he picks at the lock with his tools.

"Shouting at him isn't going to speed him up, just give him a moment…!" Kiibo tries to pacify the crude girl, who looks a lot more freaked out than she's trying to sound.

"It's fine, don't worry! Atua is watching over us all," Angie comments calmly in response, smiling and appearing totally relaxed despite the way she presses back against the door beside Kokichi's work zone. She probably would never willingly admit she's scared, but it's sorta obvious…

"He's only _watching?!"_ The blue haired girl squeals, turning to look at Angie as if she's an unorthodox specimen with two heads. "If you intended for that to be comforting, it's not!"

The girl shrieks and hides behind Gonta when another mechanical limb two times our size hits the wall just a bit too close to some of us, Gonta standing the closest towards the front with a determined look behind his glasses- watching with a primal look in case he needs to defend us from something that heads our way.

" _You're gonna be a pile of rubble when I'm through with you!"_ Monosuke barks, retorted by Monokid shouting, " _OH YEAH?! You'll be chalk dust when I finish you off, you yellow piece of shit!"_

"It's getting worse…! Kokichi, how are you doing?" Kiibo can't help but ask, making us all look his way as the violet haired boy finally lets out a satisfied hum and stands up to pocket his tool picks. "You did it?!"

"Nope~! This door also has a secondary magnetic lock in place and I can't get that part open. Bummer," Kokichi laughs in amusement, folding his arms behind his head much to the horror of the rest of us. "So much for that, Prairie Dog. You really are the worst ultimate, you know?"

I narrow my eyes and finally shrug off Rantaro's arms enough to reach past Kokichi and grab the door handle to throw it open without a second thought. Of _course_ he was lying now of all times…!

"Yahoo~! Bless Atua for Kokichi's wonderful skills!" Angie cheers, hurrying out first while the rest of us start to rush through the double doors to get out of the gym.

" _ **HEY!"**_ We're only a couple of people out of the gym before Monokid's Exisal suddenly slams down in the hallway in middle of the path with intimidating speed. My heart skips a beat, even though Rantaro and I are quite nearly the last ones out of the gym besides Kaede, Kokichi and Shuichi. " _Where do you IDIOT'S think you're going?! We have an entrance ceremony to get to, WALTZ YOUR ASSES BACK IN THERE!"_

The others back in quickly as the blue Exisals starts advancing on us, making us in the back back up as well so they have a way in. Once we're all back in the gym, we're well aware of the damaged Exisals of Monophanie and Monotaro in the back, both bears having to jump out due to the smoke and sparks the mechas let out. They look very clearly upset by the result of the fight, if their unmoving and quiet positions staring at the machines imply anything.

"Now now, what have we here, huh?"

My blood runs cold and I shrink back into Rantaro as a result. That voice is a familiar one. There's no way I could possibly forget it after that _one_ reset… Especially after that cryptic question he'd asked me before.

"My beloved children… All of who I love so very, _very_ dearly…"

"Huh-! That voice is…!" Monophanie perks up from where she is, both her and Monotaro spinning in all directions in search for the voice. "Daddy!"

"Father! Where are you, Papa?!" Monotaro also calls, just as Monokid and Monosuke jump out of their fully intact Exisals to search as well.

As they search for the source of the new speaker, something kicks the back of my shoe gently, making me turn my head along with Rantaro when he also feels the movement. I gasp a slightly when I find Monokuma right behind us, feeling Rantaro quickly tug me aside from the larger bear.

"Puhuhu!" The bear laughs into his paws, bounding away just as Kaede and Shuichi seem to notice Rantaro's and I's movements. They look like they want to ask what's wrong, but we never get the chance to answer the other pair. The lights in the gymnasium suddenly dim on all of us much to my mild exasperation.

 _What is with these bears and their theatrical entrances…?_

 _ **End of 1.11 - Instigation**_

* * *

 **A/N:** _I seriously wish I could attach images since I've drawn a few pieces of art for this story? But no, instead I just have to keep changing the cover image so it's actually seen ;w;_

 _If you want to see the art though, I suggest going to my Tumblr .com, but maybe hold off since there might be spoilers :P (unless you're cool with spoilers, then go ham)_


	12. 1:12 - My Punishment

_**1.12 - My Punishment**_

A spotlight shines towards the stage where Kokichi and I were earlier, illuminating Monokuma's winged form as he jumps out from behind the stage and floats back down gently to land on his feet almost daintily.

"It is _me_ who is the god of this world...and the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles!" Monokuma announces with regal flair to his words, right before reaching back and plucking both cardboard wings off his back. Without a second thought, he tosses them back somewhere carelessly. "Also known as _Monokuma!_ It's nice to meet you!"

Monokuma seems to look my way momentarily. When he winks and grins wider at me, I realize I'm not seeing things like I originally think I am.

"And _welcome back,_ Miss Marble! I'm glad you haven't lost your head just yet!" Monokuma adds, prompting me to look away with a grimace when some of the other students glance my way.

"Yay! It's Daddy!"

"HELL YEAH! Dad's descended upon us!"

"I always knew Dad was cool…!"

Facing the other way, I can see Monokid, Monosuke, and Monodam jumping out of their still functioning Exisals, joining Monophanie and Monotaro where they stand. I squint a little when I look back at the stage, seeing Monokuma quiver as his face gradually tones a dark red shade of what I can only imagine to be rage.

"My beautiful children...you're all as lovely as ever. Even though you keep running your mouths with no sense of tact...you're still my beloved children. And even if you let Miss Marble take advantage of you this time...I absolutely am not angry with my wonderful, talented, gifted children."

"Hah?!" Monokid gapes, looking flabbergasted by Monokuma's words.

"We weren't being taken advantage of! We were-!" Monosuke tries to defend, before silencing when Monokuma holds up a paw.

"You didn't notice she suddenly got chattier than usual? It's obvious the little princess wanted to reduce the number of Exisals we had to give her and her companions a better advantage. Isn't that right, Miss Marble?" Monokuma half chortles, prompting a couple of the other students to glance my way where I'm glaring at Monokuma.

"I-Is that it? Nice one, Blitz!" Kaito half laughs, giving me a thumbs up. "See? You really are a girl of spirit!"

"...So what, you're just going to excuse the fact she could have gotten us all killed?" Maki asks, shooting both Kaito and I scathing looks from where she is. "That makes the _both_ of you idiots."

 _That would be the case if I didn't already know we would be fine. I trust my instincts. I got rid of two Exisals and nobody got hurt._

"I don't think so! God is with her, she knew we would come out just fine! That is what Atua tells me~!" Angie surprisingly sticks up for me, causing my breath to hitch just lightly. I expected that out of anyone _but_ her. What happened to calling me a blasphemer that couldn't win Atua's grace with any amount of blood sacrifice…?

"Well, Miss Marble...I guess you win this one. However, we still have _three_ Exisals, so-" Monokuma cuts himself off when Monokid's Exisal bursts into flames in the back, making some of the other students back away quickly in case it explodes. "...We still have _two_ Exisals, so don't get cocky or anything!"

I grab my hair and cover my face a little to hide my satisfied grin, immensely relieved I'd managed to get them to destroy three Exisals with their own power. Us against two is a lot better than us against five… I'm just glad no one got hurt because of my actions.

 _They could have though, and that's why what you did is wrong. You shouldn't gamble their lives on a hunch like that- you don't even know how you're doing things like that. You could still make a mistake._

I push my thoughts away and take one of Rantaro's hands after I sober up and release my hair. Rantaro doesn't say anything as I do- not even really noticing as I play thoughtlessly with his bracelets and rings while watching the bears interactions.

"Monodam! Good on you to not take her bait though! I'm proud of you, son!" Monokuma says, jumping off the stage to walk over to the green bear and pat the top of his head lovingly.

"...I'm gonna beat Monodam up later and take his Exisal…" I hear Monokid comment just slightly under his breath, watching bullets of sweat appear across Monodam's body as a result.

"Still…" Monokuma thoughtfully speaks as he walks back to the stage, climbing back up it with much effort and wiggling his butt to get his leg over the ledge. "This prologue is so, so _very_ long...the first prologue I ever hosted probably was so short because you, my beautiful children, weren't there. A shame really, isn't that right?"

Monokuma looks a bit miffed again, turning a duller red color than he had when talking about the damaged Exisals. The other five bears avert their gazes in all opposite directions guiltily, sharing the same sentiments and trying to avoid the shame of being chastised by Monokuma.

 _The "first" prologue? ...Yes, that's right. Rantaro said this was a Killing game made by a girl named Junko Enoshima...meaning multiple killing games have taken place before this one we're currently in. Does that mean we're all bound to kill one another then? That I was right to believe we wouldn't all be here if we didn't have the spine to commit murder?_

Looking around at the three broken Exisals around us and remembering how we were all cowering by the door moments before, my stomach drops a little.

 _...Even me?_

Just that thought is enough to make me feel a bit sick. I'm not sure how long I zone out lingering on that dark idea before my mind drifts back to the killing games. How many bodies has this "Danganronpa" piled up for the sake of entertainment?

It's Rantaro's voice that eventually brings me back to the present, easy to hear since he's quite literally attached to me at the moment.

"I'm not interested in the Exisals. I'm interested in this "killing game". What is it, exactly?" I hear Rantaro ask much to my bewilderment.

 _What? Why is he asking about that? He knows exactly what the killing game is, he's the one that…!_

I blink and run my thumb over the rings on his right hand's index finger thoughtfully. He didn't remember about his old outfit like he had during the previous resets. He didn't seem to react quite the same way to Monokuma as he had when he saw him after the _Kagome, Kagome_ game either, much more hostile towards the white and black bear previously...but those things changed only after those bears used the round flashlight on us rather than the dark square flashlight they'd used prior.

 _What was different about that last flashlight? This? That it erased even more memories than the previous one did? If that's the case, why didn't they just use that rounded flashlight to begin with then? Why bother using the weaker one at all? ...There must be more to it that I'm not seeing yet._

"If we don't want to die, we have to do it. That's what you're saying, right? Or you'll hurt us with the Exisals?" Rantaro speaks up again, followed closely by Tenko growling.

"Stop kidding around! Are you seriously suggesting we're all just going to go along with that and kill our friends?!" Tenko objects, a thin layer of sweat coating her brow as she glares at Monokuma.

"Hnnuuuhhh?" Monokuma dumbly asks, obviously portraying sarcasm. "Who are these 'friends' you're talking about? You lot aren't friends! You're all killers in the making aiming at each other's lives~! In other words… _you are_ _ **all**_ _each other's enemy."_

The seed of anxiety in my gut opens up as I look around at the other students glancing at one another warily. Behind every set of eyes is suspicion. Doubt. Assumptions on who looks more trustworthy and who looks like a killer. What a way to shatter all trust among us…

I look down at Rantaro's hand still resting over my hand.

 _...I can trust Rantaro. I know that I can._

On autopilot, my hand automatically weaves my fingers with his- causing my face to heat up after a moment when I realize what I've just done. Rantaro shifts to lean over and look at me after the friendly action, but I quickly grab my hair with my free hand and cover my face with it as I look in another direction. I hear him laugh under his breath and feel my heart squeeze with mild glee when his hand squeezes mine as a result.

My heart kicks up a notch and I start allowing my eyes to drift in several different locations until they land on the two standing Exisals in the room- causing my heart to speed up for a completely different reason altogether.

...Trust makes it easier to get close to your prey. And if leves the bittersweet flavor of betrayal in its wake.

 _No, don't think like that! That's just what Monokuma wants! He wants us to doubt one another...to consider killing each other before we are killed first. It's a never ending cycle of insanity, I can't let him suck me into that mindset. I need to figure out a way to get answers that will help us leave this place._

"As expected of our dad! Such a good teacher!" Monotaro cheers brightly.

"GAH! I'm not listening to this shit! I'm gonna beat the CRAP out of Monodam now! I need to relieve stress and I want his EXISAL!" Monokid howls, snapping another guitar out of cardboard in half. Where he's getting all those cardboard guitars, I can only imagine. It's not like he's carrying a bag full of them around.

"But...I don't want this! It's too cruel! Too grotesque and pitiful! ...Well, maybe not for Ugly, but Daddy, can you make the other fifteen at least do rock-paper-scissors instead? And maybe...let me keep the green one Ugly likes so much as a pet?" Monophanie begs, throwing a wink me and Rantaro's way much to my increasing irritation.

 _Is she seriously doing all this? Trying to be super cute, trying to act like me at times, and now she wants Rantaro to fuss over her? For calling me ugly, she sure seems to want to step in my shoes pretty badly._

For once, I can't help but stare Monophanie dead in the eye in disapproval, watching her cover her face and giggle cutely. I almost want to show off my hand in Rantaro's to shoot her ideas down, but...not only would that be embarrassingly defensive of me- it'd also probably be fuel to Kokichi's idea that I'm trying to wrap Rantaro around my little finger.

Not to mention I _really_ don't what to come off as someone flaunting Rantaro off like that... he's not a trophy and I don't even like him like that. I'm just mildly crushing because he's good looking, that's it. It's just a dumb little crush. It will go away eventually.

Instead of letting my temper flare up again, I eventually look down and start playing with his bracelets again.

"Idiot, nobody but Ugly will die that way! Which is only _mildly_ satisfying!" Monosuke huffs, paws on his hips in disgust at the thought.

"That kindness is very unique, Monophanie. It's a unique kind of cuteness!" Monokuma looks charmed by Monophanie as he says this, but seconds after he turns angry red again as he adds with a dead stare, "It's the type of cuteness that makes me want to eat you up!"

" _Eh?!"_ Monophanie squeals in horror, making me promptly bring a hand up to my mouth to hide the stupid grin that wants to form on my face at seeing " _her royal highness"_ kicked off her high horse by Monokuma. It's not a massive feeling of glee, but at least it does help with the slight irritation she sparked in me by subtly aiming for Rantaro.

"Enough of this meaningless babbling. More importantly, how are we supposed to kill each other? Are you going to give us weapons like guns or something?" Ryoma cuts in, much to the disbelief of some of the other students by his insane inquiry.

"Dude?! What the hell are you asking?!" Kaito gapes in horror, even taking a step back from the much shorter male beside us. Honestly though, despite the bit of his history I had the privilege of receiving straight from his lips, he doesn't quite strike me as the kind of guy that would murder innocent people like us. Rantaro must believe the same thing, as the both of us don't back away from him despite him standing right next to us.

"Getting information is key if you're going to fight back," Ryoma simply answers.

"Weapons? You had such wild thoughts? It's not _that_ kind of killing game! In this academy, I will be hosting a killing game full of tact and entertainment!" Monokuma declares much to everyone else's confusion. Wait till Monokuma gets to the _other_ part…

"'Tact and entertainment'...? What are you getting at," Maki demands more than asks, voice an eerie level of warning that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Ah! This is where _we_ explain!" Monotaro starts, until Monokuma raises a paw to stop him from saying anything else. Surprised by the interruption, the other five bears look towards Monokuma puzzled. "F-Father…?"

"No. My lovely children...we've made her wait long enough, wouldn't you agree?" Monokuma carefully comments, prompting the other bears to gradually grasp the meaning of his words with snickers and giggles. Despite them not mentioning any names, I can feel the contents in my stomach swirl with discomfort as they laugh secretively among themselves.

"What are you laughing about now?" Kaito speaks up nervously, though he receives no answer from the bears. Rather, the bears all turn to look my way slowly in obvious amusement.

 _I can already sense where this is going…_ I think, suddenly worming out of Rantaro's hold and nearly getting a good space away from him till his hand restrains me from getting any further.

"Miss Marble!" I stop resisting and reluctantly look Monokuma's way with a less than friendly look. "Since you've been flapping your gums enough to cause us trouble oh so _many_ times, why don't you come up here and explain it to the rest of the class?" Monokuma suggests, prompting me to eventually avert my gaze to the floor rather than at the infernal robot bear. "What's wrong? I thought you _wanted_ to tell everyone what's going on! Well, now's your chance! I'm giving you permission to tell them whatever you want!"

I don't move from where I am. Something about that offer _reeks_ of ill intent. And I trust my gut.

"...Fine, fine! Be that way then. But just so you know, out of all the students here…" I look back up in time to see Monokuma grin wide at me, revealing the rows of sharp shark-like teeth from the darkened half of his body. " _I'm looking forward to breaking_ _ **you**_ _the most."_

I swallow down my anxiety but decidedly ignore the bear in favor of looking at the floor and finally regaining possession of my own hand from Rantaro. I don't even want to look and see what kind of an expression he's wearing...is it pity? I sure as hell _feel_ pitiful after that threat of Monokuma's. Well, I guess it's the punishment I deserve for fighting back so much.

Sensing an opening in the conversation, Monotaro jumps up and down for everyone's attention, allowing me breathable air as the other ultimates look away from me at the red bear.

"Alright, it's up to us since _Ugly_ over there doesn't give a crap about you dolts this time!" Monotaro speaks up, obviously an attempt to misconstrue my actions as being disingenuine towards the other ultimates rather than the monokubs and Monokuma.

"The way we do SHIT around here will include _class trials!"_ Monokid barks, crossing his arms with mock authority and puffing up his hair covered chest.

"So during the killing game, the person who manages to kill another student will be known as the ' _blackened'!"_ Monotaro adds, holding up his shurikens in a "heroic" pose of sorts.

"The other people, the ones _innocent,_ will all be considered 'white' in this instance," Monosuke jumps in, playing with his glasses as he drifts on over in my direction. Unnerved, I back away until I bump into Tenko, making her pull me behind her as Monosuke cackles and skips away. Stupid bears really love terrorizing me, huh?

"During the trial, you figure out which SCHMUCK is the blackened and VOTE FOR 'EM!" Monokid announces, jumping over from where he is and dancing around Tenko and I with malicious mirthfulness. Tenko shoots the bear a threatening look, but other than laugh, Monokid continues to circle us.

"The killer will then be suitably punished~!" Monophanie chirps, suddenly jumping on my back from quite nearly out of nowhere and making me stiffen up with immense discomfort as she plays with a lock of my hair she's grabbed.

"If you successfully vote for the blackened and they get punished, then you can suitably move on with your school life," Monosuke picks up the explanation next, joining in dancing around Tenko and I- though in the opposite circular direction Monokid currently is.

"However, if you all vote for an innocent rather than a blackened…!" Monotaro trails off, snickering darkly at the thought.

"Then the blackened gets to leave the school and _all_ the other innocents suitably FUCKIN' DIE!" Monokid howls out loud, just as Monophanie yanks hard enough on my hair to make me yelp before jumping off quickly and scurrying away with Monokid and Monosuke when Kaito and Rantaro dart over to chase the three snickering bears away.

" _Aah,_ it's too good! It's too good of an explanation!" Monokuma pants, letting his long tongue loll out again in just as disturbing of a manner as it had the first time I'd seen him do it.

"...I feel sick," Himiko speaks up lazily, frowning at the ground.

"Well, actually, you can't _just_ kill some and then get out, scot-free. The blackened has to participate in the class trial too!" Monokuma states, rubbing his belly as he rolls his tongue back into his mouth. How he has a tongue like _that_ when he's a robot is beyond my understanding. His creator must have been mental.

"...So basically, kill someone and don't get found out during the course of the class trial. Just like how it's done in the outside world?" Rantaro inquires with a slight bitterness to his words, relocating beside me and Tenko.

"Yes! If you think about it, I guess it really _is_ just like the outside world! How cruel!"

"I think I know already, but I'll ask to make sure. What you said…'punishment'. What, specifically, do you mean?" Korekiyo speaks up, looking a tad bit too interested in the concepts Monokuma has brought up.

"Oh! Well of course I mean an ' _execution'!_ At least in this context!" Monokuma answers pleasantly with a wide grin.

Several students balk at Monokuma's words, some even going shades of blue as they process this new information. Monokuma only breaks into a wider grin and cups both paws around his mouth in amusement, as if savoring everybody's individual reactions- be it to his liking or even the blank-faced stare Kokichi gives him. Hell, the crazy bear even seems to enjoy the deadly look Maki is throwing his way. Is she really the Ultimate Child Caregiver…?

"Just like the outside world...if your sins are found out, you get punished! Of course, the punishment is a little more _permanent_ in this killing game," Monokuma continues to fan the flames, his mechanical left eye suddenly pulsing an unnerving red glow.

"GAH! Just thinking about the kinds of executions there will be...it TURNS ME ON!" Monokid announces, followed by a grossed out noise of disgust from Tenko.

"M-Monokid can get turned on?!" Monotaro visibly sweats uncomfortably.

"HELL YEAH!" Monokid shouts in response.

"So gross...so gorey…!" Monophanie actually sort of gags after those weak comments, prompting Shuichi and Kaede near her to step back upon seeing the signs preluding to her throwing up. I don't get why though, it's not a biological bear after all- what could she possibly spew out? Bolts and screws? Oil and gasoline? Just before anything can happen though, Monosuke bounds up to her side.

"Hey, hey, think about Ugly getting bludgeoned! Or falling hundreds of feet and going SPLAT in five different directions when she hits the ground!" Monosuke exclaims, immediately making Monophanie sigh with relief and brighten up gleefully at the malignant thought.

"Oh! Yes, that helps! I really hope Ugly dies soon, she's very un-cute!" Monophanie agrees, laughing with Monosuke at my expense. As I watch them, I jump a little in surprise when Rantaro puts an arm over my shoulder and redirects my attention to him instead.

"Ignore them, okay, Prairie? They're wrong," Rantaro reassures me, quickly followed by a noise of agreement from Tenko as she peels Rantaro's arm off of me and links arms with mine. Despite that, Rantaro still smiles at Tenko's actions.

"Yeah, that pink parasite wouldn't know cute if it hit her in the face. She's just jealous you're cuter than her!" Tenko huffs in the pink bear's direction.

Monophanie turns slightly red at Tenko's quip, eyes narrowed on all three of us with ill intent. "...I _really_ hope Ugly dies soon. _Very_ soon."

 _Oh no, that sounded even worse than the other times…she's not planning on killing me_ _ **herself**_ _at this point, is she?_

"Puhuhu! Miss Marble's death would be very cute, I think! Bloody and painful, but still cute!" Monokuma adds, looking thoughtful as he thinks to himself and rubs a paw under his chin.

 _And this guy...already planning my execution even though I haven't murdered anyone yet. Can we leave already? Is he done dropping these bombs on everyone?_

"What are you saying? That wouldn't be cute at all, you psychopath! Quit bullying Prairie already, whatever trouble she caused you before doesn't warrant this sort of treatment!" Kaito speaks up now, visibly fuming on my behalf.

At that claim, everyone (including myself) turns to look at the demolished Exisals in the background. Right on cue, Monophanie's mecha sputters and more smoke starts to emanate from the horrendously twisted area of the machine's leg, prompting me to wince and hide my face under my fluffy hair sheepishly.

"...Jeez. I wonder who caused _that_ back there," Kokichi comments sarcastically, grinning as he rests his arms behind his neck and glances Kaito's way for a response. Kaito sweats a little, but remains the only ultimate to not turn his head as he keeps his glare glued to Monokuma- ignoring Kokichi altogether.

"Okay, so...is this you offering to take her place then?" Monokuma chuckles, causing Kaito to pause momentarily in surprise and then straighten up with a sense of having made his mind up.

"As a matter of fact, YES!" Kaito announces, determination laced in his claims.

"W-wait-!" I hear my own voice jump up, half wriggling away from Tenko and Rantaro before they hold me back. I'm cut off before I can say anything else to defend Kaito, but thankfully it's to my own favor.

"Well, _too bad!_ We wanna harass Perfect Blitz, NOT the Luminary of the Stars! Get back in your own lane, wannabe!" Monokuma throws back at Kaito, who grinds his teeth with obvious aggravation.

 _Whew...I'm glad they didn't take his offer though. Sorry, Kaito, but it's better this way._

"Well, we're done with the boring explanations for now. Let's have a great, new season of mutual killing!" Monokuma announces, his composure returning as his temper fades away. He opens his arms wide, humming mirthfully.

"I won't ask how you kill 'em- I won't decide your means! You like blunt pain? Poison? Stabbing? Blood loss? Staking? Beheading? Crushing? Suffocation? Strangling? Killing by laughing? I'm fine with all of that! The way you wanna kill...who you wanna kill...the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles is just for that purpose! Students with admirable talents being locked up for an all new killing game…!"

"An 'all new semester' of killing games…" Rantaro repeats with a less than enthused morbid smile akin to a grimace of sorts.

"Khehe...to risk one's life for something as insignificant as a game. How man," Korekiyo speaks up in a similar tone, the visible portion of his face as pale as the dead.

"Looks like I won't be so bored after all. You know, now I'm kind of glad Prairie Dog didn't spoil it for us early!" Kokichi casually drops for everyone else to hear, prompting Tenko to look at all three boys and even go a step further to remove me from Rantaro's side warily.

"You filthy men! Why are you so calm about all of this?!" Tenko complains, clearly not registering that the only one seemingly calm about it is actually Kokichi and that's it. "Furthermore, how dare you accuse Prairie of keeping things from us!"

"But she _is!_ Right, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi presses, though I do well not to look his way- instead watching the other students taking the bulk of Monokuma's news poorly.

"This is a joke...has to...it has to be a joke…"

"I don't wanna _die!_ I'm too beautiful! The world needs my good looks and genius!"

"I don't want to kill anyone...I don't want to. That's wrong and I'll never do it…"

"Puhuhuhuhu! It's not about whether you want to or not! If you don't kill, it'll be a big problem! After all, the only reason everyone is alive right now is for the killing game!" Monokuma corrects the students muttering to themselves, hugging his round belly with a grin.

"W-Wait just a minute!"

All eyes land on Kaede Akamatsu, the girl visibly shaken by the events and revelations thus far. How can she muster the courage to speak up when she's shaking like a leaf baffles me, but she manages well enough anyways.

"Yes?" Monokuma inquires, sweetly tilting his head to the side with mocking innocence.

"Even though you told us we're supposed to kill each other...we will _never_ take part in a killing game! We're not doing any of that- we won't ever kill!" Kaede shouts suddenly, her trembling ceasing completely and her eyes blazing with such a defiance it surprises me.

"K-Kaede, you shouldn't be so recklessly bold towards-" Tenko balks, though Monokuma cuts her off before she can finish her sentence.

"No, no! Actually, I welcome that kind of attitude! People who say "I won't ever kill" are very important in a killing game!" Monokuma pauses, the left side of him grinning so wide that it almost appears to bisect his head. "Because they're perfect candidates to die and make the killing game much more interesting!"

Kaede's bravado fades momentarily, prompting her to let out a mildly strangled gasp as Monokuma gives her a thumbs up and a wink.

"It's my job as headmaster to make the ones who don't want to kill change their minds!" The bear exclaims, letting out a full blown laughter that four of the monokubs join in with. The malicious amusement in their laughing silences everyone in astonishment. If anyone had a shadow of a doubt this wasn't a just a joke, they sure know it's really happening now.

Eventually, their laughter settles down, Monokuma giving all seventeen of us a wave.

"Until next time!" Monokuma bids farewell, disappearing behind the stage with a few bunny hops backwards.

" _ **So Long~! Bear Well~!"**_

The monokubs also give their little line before they disappear as well- Monosuke and Monodam hopping in their functioning Exisals and jumping out of the gym from the opening above.

There's a few beats where everyone seems to wait and see if they're really gone, sighs of mild relief escaping a few people here and there.

Angie is the first to move, climbing to get on the stage to peer over the back where everyone saw Monokuma hop down. Once she's gotten a good enough look, she turns back to face all of us with a bright smile.

"He has vanished!" Angie announces, jumping back down where the rest of us are.

…

I feel my heart skip a beat nervously as Tenko finally releases my arm to stretch a little, leaving me standing alone to drift a bit on over towards Himiko. Although I suddenly feel rather exposed since I've sort of gotten used to people attaching themselves to me at this point, I don't actually mind that she's left me to check on Himiko. From what I can see, the red haired girl looks scared enough to pee herself…

Rather, the thing I'm more concerned about the amount of eyes turning to look my way curiously now that the "entrance ceremony" is over. I can feel plenty of eyes drilling into me like machines in search of information I hold.

 _Now what do I do? What do I say to them…? "Sorry I couldn't tell you that we're all here to die"? ...Why me? Why_ _ **us**_ _?_

"Prairie…" I look up to see Shuichi take a step my way, gold eyes scanning my features. "You knew all of this already? ...Why wouldn't you tell us before though? Why'd you keep it from us all?"

"N-No...don't tell me! Those fuckwads got Perfect Blitz on their side?!" Miu gasps, eyeing me carefully before she frowns and throws Shuichi a dubious look. "I-I don't believe it! She's wild, but not _that_ wild! The fuck are you trying to imply over there, you NEET?!"

Shuichi winces slightly, but says nothing else due to Miu's aggressive retort.

"Yeah, I find it hard to believe too. Prairie's acting much different than I remember, but she doesn't strike me as a person that would side with the monokubs or Monokuma! After all, look what she did!" Kaito adds, gesturing to the mess behind us with the Exisals. Oh, _now_ he's acknowledging it, huh? "There must have been a reason she couldn't say anything."

Surprisingly, it's Ryoma that beats everyone else to the punch.

"When I first encountered Prairie here, she let slip a comment pertaining to being the 'perfect victim' here- and that she'd probably be the first to get murdered. The weird blue bear shut her up before she could say anything else though and called it her first 'strike'. From that, I'm pretty sure she was threatened to keep quiet," Ryoma explains casually.

"...Me too. When she came up to me, she told me the bears were chaperoning her to meet every ultimate or they would decapitate her. Then she mentioned that they had already tried to kill her before for another reason…" Maki, the one I was pretty sure wouldn't speak up at all on my behalf, adds to Ryoma's explanation.

 _...Is no one just going to straight up ask me directly? I'm still here, why are they talking around me like I'm not present?_ I question with a bit of a frown as I look down and promptly grimace at my attire. I hate these clothes. I want my old uniform back- however boring those bears think it is. I'd rather deal with possible skirt flips than this side-boob situation.

"G-Gonta not sure, but…what 'Perfect Bits'?" Gonta asks, frowning and looking around at the other students for some sort of answer.

"Yeah, I'm confused too...are we talking about two different people? What does this 'Perfect' person have to do with the current situation we're in?" Kiibo also asks, scratching his head and prompting Gonta to visibly sigh a bit in relief as if glad he's not the only one that's confused.

"Uh, we're talking about Prairie… You two don't know?" Himiko questions the tall man-like teen and robot, earning two head shakes of complete confusion. "Huh...and I thought _everyone_ knew her."

"Oh? Hey, spit it out, I wanna know too! What's Prairie Dog's dirty little secret?!" Kokichi eagerly inquires, racing over to me and linking his arm with mine despite my obvious discomfort with his sudden proximity when I jump and squirm to make him let go. Thankfully, Rantaro peels the purple twerp's arm from mine and gives him a hard look Kokichi only chuckles at. "Oh, Rantaro..perhaps _you_ can tell us?"

"...I don't know what they mean by that either, actually."

"I can tell you guys! I mean...if it's okay with Prairie?" Tenko speaks up, glancing my way only for me to turn my back to her immediately in the opposite direction. If anything, that should speak volumes of my thoughts on sharing about the "Perfect Blitz" situation, but it doesn't seem to click for Tenko. "P-Prairie?"

Kirumi clears her throat as she walks over to join Rantaro, Kokichi, and I.

"I implore that you respect Prairie's wishes and _not_ share it. I myself know what the topic is about and I can guarantee to those that _do not_ know that it's irrelevant to our situation entirely. When Prairie wants to share it, she will, but that is not for the rest of us to decide or to force out of her," Kirumi clearly states much to my relief as the tension in my body relaxes and I look over my shoulder at her.

"...Okay, fine, but has she shared to the rest of you the tidbit that we've all woken up here four other times but had our memories erased?" Kokichi chirps casually, grinning as all the students look my way again- Kirumi included.

"You're over exaggerating, you _rat!_ She said only six of us met four other times, herself included!" Tenko defends me immediately, eyes narrowed on snickering Kokichi.

Before Kokichi can say anything else, I cough for their attention. At first, all the eyes that return to me are a bit intimidating, but I swallow down my nerves and force myself to finally speak up.

"I-I think I can tell you some of that now, but...if they decide to kill me for opening my mouth again, don't be surprised," I speak up, completely turning around to face everyone.

"Are...are you sure, Prairie? If the punishment is as severe as that, I would rather you _not_ tell us," Kiibo interjects, looking somewhat discomforted by my words. "Is it something we really, _really_ need to know?"

I open my mouth and then close it in thought. The things we all conversed about before…

Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair, and her nefarious killing games common to Rantaro's knowledge…

Everyone but Rantaro forgetting or either altogether _not having_ ultimate talents…

The Ultimate Hunt…

...How everyone recognized the name "monokubs" but not the individual bears themselves nor their appearances…

 _There's more I can note, but the bottom line is that although it all seems like useless random tidbits at the moment, they might be invaluable or become relevant later in this godforsaken place._

"I think it's important enough to tell you guys and important enough that there was a valid reason the monokubs tried to shut me up," I explain, despite Kiibo's visible disapproval. I'm sure he knows my logic is sound enough too.

"Yeah, but if they didn't let you before, why would they let you tell us _now?_ Prairie, you don't have to say anything- we won't hold it against you if you don't," Kaede reassures with a concerned frown, only for someone to scoff at her words.

"Maybe _you_ won't, but don't speak for the rest of us, Kaede! I want to know what she's been keeping quiet about because _I_ actually care to live," Kokichi remarks, stepping closer towards us. "I'm sure that while some people want to keep their rose-tinted lenses on like you do, some of us here think the risk is worth it, Prairie Dog herself included! _Riight?"_

Kokichi directs the end of his statement my way. Although I'm reluctant to agree with _anything_ he brings up, I sigh in resignation and nod. "He's right, Kaede. It's worth the risk, believe me."

"Prairie, you shouldn't be taking your own life for granted like that," Rantaro scolds me, taking my wrist to turn me his way. I wrangle my wrist out of his grip, stepping away from him. "If I have to quiet you by force, _I will."_

"M-Me too!" I look to see Tenko step forward, guilt swimming in the forefront of her eyes when she meets my gaze. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to know either if you'll get hurt for it! I don't want any of us to have to die or get crippled!"

"You said it! I'm not listening to a word if it hurts you, Prairie!" Kaito agrees, straightening up.

"Gonta will help! Even if small Prairie no like Gonta no more and no want talk about bugs...Gonta prefer be hated than small Prairie be dead!" Gonta speaks up, making my heart skip a sudden beat when I realize him, Rantaro, Tenko, Kaede, and Kaito are all stepping closer my way.

"...I think we should consider and weigh the pros and cons of this knowledge based on our situation. We will still be in a killing game whether Prairie tells us what she knows or not. Prairie has a high chance of being murdered as do the rest of us, but if she dies with what she knows, we may actually all end up picking each other off to the end rather than escaping, don't you think? Imagine...if she were to perhaps tell us, her demise might save us from a terrible fate," Korekiyo speaks up, much to Rantaro's obvious disapproval when he turns his head to throw a startlingly disturbing look the tall anthropologist's way.

"So you're suggesting she just... _sacrifice_ herself?" Rantaro's voice is dangerous- unlike anything I've ever heard before.

Korekiyo doesn't respond at first, but a moment later he eventually answers, "Believe me, I don't relish the idea myself. However, we still don't know whether they'd kill her or just hurt her. She could still walk out of here with us in the end."

"That's only if the information she knows is useful for us in escaping. She could tell us something that would enlighten us, but give us no actual exit out of here," Shuichi adds, fiddling with his cap. "In that case, her sacrifice could end up meaningless- no matter the severity."

"Guys. In the end, it's still up to _Prairie_ to tell us. I don't know what you guys intend to do, but it doesn't seem like _she's_ on the same page as you," Ryoma comments, nodding in my direction when he notices my slow retreat towards one of the basketball hoop courts.

All heads whip back in my direction and I spin around on my heel, charging the rest of the way to the pole and jumping to climb it at a blinding speed just as the others reach where the court is.

"Whoa, she's fast as _shit!_ That's Perfect Blitz for ya!" Miu crows in excitement.

"W-We shouldn't be encouraging this! She could get hurt!" The blue haired girl who's name I _still_ don't know chastises Miu, much to the blonde's annoyance.

"Get down from there, you're going to hurt yourself!" Rantaro calls up to me, prompting me to roll my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Prairie!"

"Are you two siblings or some shit like that…? Or is this a kind of dom-sub thing I don't know about?" Miu asks, thought Rantaro completely ignores her input.

I settle at the top and look down at them, letting out a breath and relaxing momentarily knowing none of them can possibly silence me if I say something from all the way up he-

"Gonta, throw me up there on the double!" Kiibo orders, much to Gonta's confusion despite the bulky teen following the white haired robot's orders and picking him up to toss him where I am.

"A-Ah…!" I stammer, realizing I need to say something _now_. What do I tell them though? If I only have one chance and one thing I can possibly say, then…?!

 _The first thing I figured out. The name of the group that captured us…! That might end up the most useful thing we have…!_

"Th-The people that brought us here is a group called Da-" I quickly start to shout from where I am.

Before I can finish, however, everything goes pitch black when something clamps hard around my head with a surprisingly vicious force. At first, all I feel is this unbearable head pain. When it starts to fade with my consciousness, I hear Monosuke's cheery voice pierce through the fog of my mind.

" _Nope~! Not today,_ _ **UGLY!**_ _You shoulda listened to your friends, you stupid bitch!"_

Everything goes black.

 _ **End of Arc 1: Entrance Ceremony**_

...next...

 ** _Arc 2: Killing Resistance_**

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _To 03Isabella: Ah, I don't really plan on Shuichi being added as a romantic interest. ^ ^' He will still appear and interact with Prairie often since he's a super important character, maybe he might blush with a few things she says, but the main focus will remain affixed on the plot as of now. Asdfjkl to be honest I wasn't really thinking about putting any of the other characters into relationships, but we'll see where the story goes lol :P_

 _To Pandakat312: Thank you for reading! I appreciate the comment and hope you as well as others continue to enjoy the next installments uwu_


	13. 2:1 - Tolerance

_**2.1 - Tolerance**_

…

Something tickles my cheek ever so gently, a light feathery thin and practically weightless touch that makes me frown slightly. I feel a soft breeze send a lock of my hair in a different direction, making me shift in my sleep to get in a more comfortable position.

It isn't until then that I realize I have my hair all over my face, prompting me to blink in confusion before reaching out to push myself up...off the grass…?

In a daze of sorts, I brush the curtain of hair out of my eyes, squinting at the darkness around me. The only light is from the main school building and the lights along the path, but there are some stars out that I can see when I look up at the sky through the large cage. Looking up at it, the sky still looks strange for some reason- maybe even _more so_ now that it's night.

 _Nevermind that. How did I get outside in the first place? Why am I sleeping on the grass?_

"Finally you're awakey-wakey~!"

I jump in surprise, but somewhat relax when I find Monophanie by my legs, lightly bouncing on her feet when I turn her way. Honestly, I probably shouldn't be too relieved to see it's just here. After all, these bears aren't to be taken lightly.

"When you passed out, we didn't think you'd be asleep for so long! It was very annoying watching you sleep. You're so ugly and you drool!" Monophanie accuses, prompting me to touch my chin and make sure it's clean. At that, she sighs. "No matter… I'm here to tell you that the consequences for your actions are _still_ active! This time we only punished you a little bit. Next time...it will be much worse! And gory! I _hate_ gore, but I'll stomach it if you're the one on the receiving end. On top of that...we won't just hurt _you_ next time. We'll go after fighter girl or your hunky green boyfriend! Or even that purple boy you keep being nice to! So watch your step, Ugly~!"

 _Ugh…_

I feel my body go somewhat slack as I manage a frustrated nod of understanding, watching Monophanie perk up and jump to her tiptoes in delight.

" _Perfect!_ I'm glad we've come to an agreement so quickly! Feel free to return to your dorm room- the door should be open by now! The dining hall is closed after ten at night, so don't try and sneak in for a midnight snack past the late hours!"

 _...I'm glad I'm not hungry right now, since it's obviously past ten._

Monophanie continues, despite the fact that I flop over onto my back again when I'm unable to keep myself up in a seated position. She giggles a little at the sight, prompting me to make a bit of a face she ignores.

"Furthermore, this is a special 'monopad' _juust_ for you! If you try to get rid of this thing, you'll regret it. If you try to show your extra rule tab to anyone else, you'll regret that too. Please remember to keep your special rules in mind before you go opening your mouth! Bye-bye, _Ugly!"_ Monophanie gives a little dainty wave after setting down a tablet of sorts beside my arm, bounding away and leaving me to stay where I'm half sprawled out.

Eager to get up, I try again at climbing up to my feet. In the process, I sort of lose my balance and fall to a heap on the floor when my head starts to spin from the exertion. When I try a third time to no avail, I decide to just lay back again and pick up the monopad Monophanie left me.

Examining the item, I flip it around to see it's half white and half an assortment of the five colors the monokubs bear, having a glossy finish that makes it somewhat slippery due to its weight in my grip.

 _Since I can't really stand up at the moment, maybe I should give this garbage a look-see._

I lift it up over my face and power it on via a fingerprint scan at the upper right back corner, nearly dropping it on my face with an annoyed grunt when the full on brightness quite practically blinds me. With one squinted eye, I navigate the visible pull down bar to lower the brightness enough that I can see what the background message of the tablet reads.

" _Blinded By The Light?"_

I scowl sourly at this. Stupid bears.

Since I already know all the main killing game rules, I scroll past half of the content. I only pause and slow down when I reach some rules I definitely don't recognize.

 _Not just the cafeteria closes, but the gym is off limits after ten pm too. And daytime resumes at eight in the morning…_

"'No attacking Monokuma, no breaking the monopad'..." I read to myself under my breath, only for it to hitch on the next slide.

 _A "Body Discovery Announcement" will occur when at least three students find the body of the murdered student._

…

I grit my teeth with a frown, recalling Kaede's words in the gym from earlier.

" _We will_ _ **never**_ _take part in a killing game!"_

I want to believe her so badly. I want her to be right. I want to think the others won't turn against each other. However, I can only hope it doesn't come to that in the end.

"'Students that break the rules are disposed of by Exisals'. Hm. Good thing there's only two left right now," I mumble under my breath, swiping back to the first tab reading "students". Everyone has a silhouette icon- including myself- with just some basic likes and dislikes, height and weight measurements... _chest_ measurements…?! Who the heck was measuring our chests? I mean, sure, they seem to have even measured the boy's chests as well, but why is _that_ important?

By the time I leave my head space and realize where I swiped to, I nearly face palm at myself in annoyance.

I've swiped to the fourth silhouette along the lineup of students, Shuichi's icon being first and my own icon being at the very end. Despite my embarrassment even though I know I'm alone and I have no need to be, I feel my face turn red as I scan Rantaro's "report card" curiously.

 _Height, weight, chest, blood type…and he dislikes cars? ...What are "extraterritorial rights"?_

As my eyes land on the notes, I'm mildly surprised to see that it reads "Ultimate ?", especially considering I already told him what his Ultimate was. Does this mean it's not common knowledge? As in...maybe Rantaro isn't telling everyone else what his talent is? Well, I guess it's his prerogative. He probably has a good reason for keeping it under wraps. It's a good thing I told him in private and didn't spout it out loud when prompted by Kokichi.

I scroll to Kokichi next and make a face when I read his dislikes. Yeah, I don't think a lot of people even _like_ pigs feet, it even _sounds_ gross. Unless it's a common dish in Japan? He is Japanese after all. ...Actually, most of the people here mostly look it- save for Angie and Rantaro.

Angie looks like a Pacific Islander, but then again her last name is completely Japanese… On Rantaro's end though, he doesn't look Japanese, but then there's the thing that his first name is Japanese. His last name...maybe Italian? Hm. I might just ask him later or something.

 _But not too soon, he might still be upset with me after pushing the monokubs. Even if it is immature of me to avoid him so I don't get scolded, I'm not going to visit him anytime soon...!_

I scroll past the next students and stop on Tenko's report card curiously, laughing a little under my breath when I read what she dislikes because _of course_ it's "men". Or as she prefers to call them, "degenerate males".

Who else…?

 _Oh!_

I blink in surprise when I see the silhouette of that girl I've yet to introduce myself to, scrolling to her icon and frowning when I see there's no information- all reading "[Redacted]" where I'd seen information for most of the other students. Her name isn't even added, let alone a profile picture.

 _I guess I have to actually meet her before her information pops up in here...but that's enough stalling on my part. Let's look at the other rules tab._

I back out of the report cards and navigate to the tab reading "Ugly Rules", rolling my eyes before I begin to read the contents.

" _Miss Marble~! Here are a few items we would like for you to refrain from mentioning or hinting at:_

 _-Junko Enoshima, The Ultimate Despair and creator of the killing game_

 _-Danganronpa_

 _-The kidnapping that you remember_

 _-The Ultimate Hunt (restriction might be removed later if you're good!)_

 _-Your…"intuition" for lack of a better word to describe it._

 _Please remember that if any of these rules are broken, we will dispose of you immediately with the Exisals! Watch your step~!"_

I swipe around the screen a little more to see if I've missed anything, but when I find nothing else of importance, I let my arms flop back to the ground with the monopad and sigh heavily. Now what? ...Did I make things worse by both accounts in pushing the bears? They only have two Exisals at the moment, but Monokuma didn't seem concerned over that...and although they definitely got me that last time, all Monokuma did in the end was attach all these special rules on me.

After everything I've done, it's a wonder they haven't just killed me already.

 _Okay, Prairie, time to get up. Get up, get up, get up-_

"Get up…!" I murmur the last part to myself with a grunt as I sit up and clamber onto my feet, legs shaking like a newborn gazelle's and head swimming once I'm standing. My body sways to the sides a few times before my balance seems to recover enough for me to start walking around, allowing me to examine where I'd been laying.

I'm by that archway where I introduced myself to Gonta...which means I'm a good walk away from the dormitories as well as the main school building.

 _I want to see what poor excuse of a room they gave all of us._

I don't see any of the other ultimates nor any bears as I walk. Despite having been completely out, I feel like I'm carrying a fifty pound weight on my back- rather than having woken up refreshed or whatnot. Is being knocked out not the same as regular old sleep? Probably. I guess I shouldn't expect my body to feel good after getting attacked by an Exisal.

As I walk through the courtyard, I eye the night sky curiously. It looks even weirder and "off" than it does when it's daytime. Maybe when I climb to check it out, I should do it at night in that case.

 _I wonder what everyone else was up to while I was blacked out…if they had seen me sleeping on the grass where I woke up, there's no way they would have just left me there._

I open the door to the dormitory building and step inside, scanning the doors leading to every student's bedroom. All the doors are closed, but I can't tell whether everyone is actually asleep or maybe wandering around the school grounds. I really hope it's the former- I don't think I could handle having to come up with a good way to apologize to the others for not being a better help. I didn't even get to say the full name of Danganronpa...!

 _Stupid bears._

I grab the rails and climb up the metal stairs to my room slowly, shooting my icon between Kiibo's and Kokichi's room a sour look.

 _...She cleaned it,_ I realize with a bit of a helpless laugh of amusement. Not that it's clean at the moment, but...see, now the entire face of my icon has been completely scribbled in black, and the place where my eyes and mouth should be have pink spots. Also, they drew a pink noose around my neck. _Well, I feel very welcome here._

I reach for the knob once I've finished looking at the abuse done to my icon, opening the door and…

…closing my door again.

…

I open the door a second time, but this time it's clear my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. It's not like I was expecting a great room- or even simply a tolerable room at that, but this is on a whole 'nother level.

There's no way anyone would call _this_ travesty a room, other than saying, it " _has"_ room in it. There's _tons_ of room in this room. So much room, in fact, that there's no shelves, no table, no closet or dresser...there isn't even a BED. It's just an empty room. There's no carpet and the walls aren't painted either. This is a completely cement clad room with nothing but one air vent at the upper part of the wall at the back, releasing cold air on top of everything.

...I close the door to my dorm room and step back from it with an eye roll. It's amazing anyone would tolerate sleeping on the cold hard floor. I'll admit the ability to lock the room makes it much safer than any other room in this hell hole, so I _will_ be back to sleep here later, but I'm not tired yet. I'll postpone my suffering for later.

I sigh and walk back down the metal stairs and out of the dormitories, strolling back outside and making my way to the main school building to explore a little and wear myself out for sleep. Everything is dark, everything is quiet...like Gonta mentioned before, I can't hear any bugs- neither crickets nor the sound of buzzing. The quiet is almost surreal.

I can't go get a snack, not that I'm actually super hungry at the moment- I could tolerate waiting till later- but I could probably go and play some games in the game room to get rid of all this excess energy I have right now.

 _...So quiet. It almost feels like only I exist in this point of the world right now. No Tenko fawning over me, no Kokichi trying to get on my nerves, no Rantaro making me question my social skills….not that any of those are particularly bad things. It's just that being alone is sometimes nice too._

I pause when I reach the staircase leading to the lower floor, eyeing the spot where Kokichi had cornered me with a knife earlier in the day. After a huff under my breath, I make my way down the dark stairwell. Unlike how it's dim when it's daytime since the light floods in from the entrance, at night they have to turn on some low lights down the stairs just so the steps are visible enough that you don't trip over yourself.

Once I reach the bottom, I head into the game room and maneuver around the stray cables and vines entangled with one another in the room to get to an arcade machine that looks vaguely familiar to me for some reason. Curious, I hit one of the buttons and the menu pops up, reading "Namco Classic Collection". There's a whole gallery of games, but the game I decide to go for is the most familiar of the lot, that being "PAC-MAN".

The jingle that plays as I start up the game tickles my memories and makes me smile a little, sending waves of comfort in me as I move the joystick around to avoid the ghosts. Not even five minutes in and I lose my first life to the orange ghost.

"Wah, you suck at that! Come on, you haven't even eaten half of the points yet and you're down to four lives already?!"

"...Why are you here?" I ask, not even turning my head to look towards the voice who I know to be Monotaro. Focusing on the game, I hardly bat an eye when I feel him jump up on the side of the arcade machine, surprisingly making sure not to obstruct my vision or get in the way of the buttons or joystick.

"Because! It's one thirty PM and you're still awake!" Monotaro complains with a huff. "You're supposed to be sleeping!"

"One PM is daytime, it's AM in this case. And for the record, I _just_ woke up from being knocked out by your stupid yellow brother, of course I'm gonna have some energy. The only reason I'm down here is to make myself tired so I can go back to sleep." I pause and look Monotaro's way as I pass the first level, only returning my gaze to the screen of the machine when I hear it resume with another jingle. "Not that I even have a bed to sleep in, for that matter."

Monotaro snorts in amusement, posing dramatically in a showy fashion with his shurikens. "Ha-ha! But at least you have a room that you can lock, don't you?"

"...I suppose. It's a really cold room though, do you want me to freeze to death? Also, can I have my old uniform back? I can't wear just _this_ forever," I say, prompting Monotaro to sigh unenthusiastically.

"Don't ask _me_. I don't deal with that stuff- you need to talk to Monophanie!" Monotaro answers, turning his back to me much to my frustration as I abandon my current game to face him with a hand on my hip.

"You and I both know that Monophanie hates me. Why would she even consider it?" I point out, watching Monotaro spin on pointe a few revolutions before facing me with a little snicker.

"Oh, right! I totally forgot that part," Monotaro comments casually, obviously lying this time unlike the other times he's forgetful. I stare at him for a moment, but he doesn't say anything else about my clothing, prompting me to give up and turn towards the machine to reset my game from the beginning. This seems to surprise the bear. "Hey, why'd you throw the game?"

"I want to see how far I can get with _all_ my lives," I explain, starting up and maneuvering around the ghosts once more. After the practice in the previous game, it's obvious I've gotten better at recognizing their patterns. "...No one else is up but me, right?"

"Nope! Just your ugly butt is up and about. Those other losers tired themselves trying to find a way out," Monotaro answers, moving closer and making himself comfortable slung over my shoulder to watch me play with a similar perspective. He's not actually that heavy and he doesn't debilitate my movements, so I decide to let him stay there.

"Hm...I did already tell Shuichi, Kaede and Kokichi there was no way out. I guess they didn't take my word for it," I respond thoughtfully, using my brain to strategically collect the most points possible in the game.

"Blondie was the one that led the charge, but the purple boy shut her down after a little while," Monotaro says, watching as I earn a one-up and continue going around the screen to line up the ghosts and then eat them as soon as I lure them close to a power pellet.

"So then...about my clothes. I only get one pair and that's that? What am I supposed to wear when I need to wash the stink out of these? Unlike you, I'm organic and I sweat among other things. Showers help, but there's no point if I just put on my dirty clothes straight out of the shower," I point out, pushing gently to see if maybe I can appeal to his better nature.

"...Fine, whatever. Hey, I have an idea! If you play a perfect PAC-MAN game and get the highest score of three hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred sixty points as a score, then I'll pull some strings and get you your old clothes from Monophanie!" Monotaro huffs, propping his head up on his hand as he rests his elbow on my shoulder. "I doubt it though, even _with_ your intuition. I just wanna see you give up."

" _Challenge accepted,"_ I answer straight away, eyes narrowed as I focus on the screen and my new task.

* * *

"...I miss when the points came in pretty colorful fruit icons, why are they boring keys now? I mean, what sort of nincompoop makes the hardest layers _this_ dull?!" Monotaro complains, before abruptly falling silent as I pin PAC-MAN to the lower right side of the screen and use the massive colorful text of glitches that's suddenly appeared as a shield to release the joystick and rub my eyes free of the sting from staring at the screen for so long.

"What level am I on?" I ask, hearing Monotaro answer quietly, "...Probably the last one. There's no way to progress after the code appears, I just didn't think you'd-! Are you _actually_ a psychic?!"

 _To be honest, it seems like every time I use it too much, I get these weird headaches at the back of my head...or maybe that's just because I've been up all night? I guess I ought to be testing it out when I'm not sleep deprived._

"At this point, I'm starting to think it too- _trust me._ What time is it anyways?"

"Almost six PM. Ah! I mean, _AM! ..._ Oh, you're getting closer to finishing!" Monotaro cheers from my shoulder, prompting me to close my eyes and use my intuition some more. I can't help but quirk an eyebrow at his tone though, resisting a bit of a confused smile of uncertainty. I thought he wanted me to lose and give up so I could suffer. Is he so into it that he wants to see me actually- "YOU DID IT!"

I open my eyes in mild surprise, glancing at the score as I go up the colorful columns of scrambled text that takes up the entire right side of the screen in search for more hidden points obscured by the coded mess. When I find nothing else, I let a ghost catch my final life and watch the next screen roll over so I can input my initials.

After a second of thought weighing between PDOG to spite Kokichi or going with BLTZ, I eventually settle for the latter. There's no _way_ I'll ever accept the nickname Prairie Dog...even if they are sort of cute animals. The way that violet leech says it ruins everything.

"Alright then, a promise is a promise, even if I don't like you and didn't think you'd actually be able to get the highest possible score…" Monotaro coughs a little and bounds away quickly out of the room. Minutes later, he returns with a plastic baggie and holds it up to me. "Here they are! They're clean, but from this point on, you'll have to wash them yourself! Also, no asking that maid girl to clean them for you either, got it?! We're adding that as an extra rule- wash your own clothes!"

I nod in understanding as I take the baggie from him gratefully.

"That's fine with me. I wouldn't ask her too anyways, it would feel to weird," I comment before breaking into a yawn and looking back at the scores on the machine. I have the highest and the only score on the machine...but who cares. I got my old clothes back and playing the games in here successfully tired me out, which was the whole point of coming down here anyways. I look back at Monotaro, smiling a little despite the absurdity of my next words. "Thanks for keeping me company then."

Monotaro looks stunned for a moment, before coughing again and looking in every other direction in what appears to be confusion and irritation.

"I-um, no, _you!_ I mean…whatever! Enjoy your cold room! I don't care!" Monotaro spouts, right before bounding out of the room once more with a surprisingly speedier pace than usual. As soon as he's gone, I start making my way out of the game room and up to the main floor. Stepping out of the stairwell, I'm greeted by the pleasant blue glow of dawn. Rather than stop to enjoy it, I just keep walking to my room- lost in thought about what to do about the atrocity that is the cement cell I've been given.

I still don't see anyone in the school, so I guess no one's up yet...six in the morning is still pretty early though. Practically still night time if you ask me, so that's presumably the reason.

I kick a pebble in the path as I make my way to the dormitories through the courtyard, taking another glance up at the sky and wrinkling my nose. Why does it look so _weird?_ I mean, yeah, as a sky it looks right, but something just isn't right about it and I still can't put my finger on it yet.

Just as I'm about to reach the dormitories, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and turn my head, jumping in surprise and swan diving into the tall grass beside me to hide. Up and at 'em is one particular guy chewing on a small white paper stick of sorts, adjusting his cap as he strolls by without notice of my presence. Once he walks around the corner, I wait a couple of minutes and exhale with relief.

Ryoma Hoshi...well, I guess it's not too surprising. I presume morning times in jail are as early as this. Not that he _has_ to follow that schedule or anything anymore, but I figure it's probably difficult to break a circadian rhythm once you're already committed to it for so long.

I shuffle out of the tall grass and quickly scurry the rest of the way to the building. Inside is nice and cozy- prompting me to make a sour face the closer I get to my dorm room.

As soon as I open my door a crack a chilly blast of air hits me, prompting me to immediately shiver before stepping inside and pulling the door shut behind me. When I really look at the room though, I pause and stop at the sight of what's in the middle of the room.

A large folded fuzzy blanket.

Confused, I lock my door just as my eyes land on the note attached to the top of the blanket. Curiosity piqued, I set down my clothes near the corner to the far left where I planned to curl up- furthest from the air vent. As I approach the bundle, my steps grow more confident the closer I get, up until I kneel down beside it and pluck the note off to give it a read.

" _T-this isn't me being nice, so don't get any ideas, UGLY! It'd just be troublesome if you died before someone could murder you, you hear me?!_

 _-Monotaro, The_ _ **Leader"**_

I set the note aside and unfold the blanket, feeling a small tired smile form on my face as I pull it around myself and immediately snuggle in its warmth. I must be more exhausted than I thought, because as soon as I sink into the blanket, I start to fall asleep, forgetting about my belt, my shoes, my hair bow, and the monopad attached to my side under my belt. I drift off completely at that point.

It practically feels like I only _blink_ before I hear the muffled sound of a school bell through my room door and open my eyes in a squint to give it a glance from between the cracks of the blanket. When I see nothing but cement walls that just barely manage to drown out the sound, I roll over and cuddle into the blanket more.

...And then something jumps right on top of me, making me sputter awake in surprise and bolt up in a sitting position with a yelp as I'm literally wrangled out of the toasty blanket and left a shivering mess on the cold floor.

"No, no, no! Stupid Monotaro, he should have known better than to be babying ugly rabid things like you. We said 'okay' to the clothes, _not_ a blanket! Stop trying to seduce my brother, you harlot!" Monophanie huffs, rolling up the blanket and bounding out of my room without another word.

Tired, stressed out, moody and cold, I curl up in the corner I'd originally meant to and finally remove my hair bow, shoes, and belt- including the knife and monopad attached to my belt. The chill is insanity, but I make a huge effort to fall back asleep despite the discomfort the raw cement floor causes- radiating a cold chill that keeps me up.

I roll over several times to get comfortable. I use my arm as a pillow in several different positions, I extend out and curl up several different times, I even use my bag of clothes Monotaro returned to me as a pillow at one point, but other than offer my head comfort from the rock hard floor of what feels like ice rather than cement, it does nothing to warm me.

…

After a few minutes, I sit up and lean back against the wall hopelessly with a hand pressed against my face.

 _This is impossible. I can't sleep like this. If there's no point, why bother staying in here? ...Oh, that's right. If I go out there, that means I have to face everybody I let down earlier yesterday. I'll have to face the embarrassment of being totally useless, the shame of getting chastised by Rantaro- who I presume is definitely not happy with my performance or attitude, and the humiliation of getting laughed at by Kokichi._

...Maybe staying in here is better. No one is judging me in here by myself- and I can handle that much. I'll just leave once it's night time again so I'm less likely to bump into anybody. Sure, night time doesn't guarantee that everybody will be asleep, but it's better than going out in broad daylight.

 _So what, now you're just going to avoid everyone? You made a few mistakes, get out there and just own up to it._

I sigh and stand up to walk to the door, fixing my rumpled curls and staring at the door across the room. After a moment though, I sit back down and scoff. Why should I? What's the point of anything? Maybe it's better they think I'm still held captive by the bears, or whatever excuse the monokubs and Monokuma gave them. It means no one will be able to find me and kill me.

…

" _Ugh!"_ I groan, standing up and yanking my belt back on along with my shoes. After I tuck my monopad in a conveniently shaped leather "T" shaped slip at the side of my belt and attach my survival knife to the other side of my belt, I glance at the bow on top of the bag of my other clothes. I almost adamantly abandon the bow, but in the end I concede defeat and put it in my hair.

 _I blame it on my lack of sleep. It's likely just me being delirious, the bow is still stupid…_

I put my hand on the door knob and take a deep breath of the cold air in the room...and step out of my empty cell.

 _ **End of 2.1 - Tolerance**_


	14. 2:2 - Deliberate Misdirection

_**2.2 - Deliberate Misdirection**_

Stepping out into the moderately warmer dormitory building, my heart kicks up speed automatically at how vulnerable I feel out in the open with the daylight streaming in through the tinted glass of the building's dirty windows half dressed with vines and plants. I anxiously glance around for signs of the other ultimates, though it seems like it's just me in here after waiting a minute or two. With that somewhat comforting thought, I exhale again and allow all the tension in my body to fade away.

 _I wonder where everyone else went. But...now that I'm out here, I have no idea what I should be doing. Should I find everyone and apologize to them individually one by one? Should I mind my own business for now and let them come up to me and apologize then? Or should I gather them all in one place and apologize to them at once?_

I make a face, finally closing my chilly dorm room behind me and locking with the keys Monophanie had left with me. I need better social skills, sheesh…

Once I'm done locking up, I walk out of the building and stop as the dormitory entrance shuts behind me. Sunlight beats down on my skin from between the bars of the exceedingly large cage around the school grounds, making me reach up and pull my hair over my shoulders defensively- as if someone will appear at any moment to criticize me for what I'd done before.

 _Still trapped here, I guess. Not that I thought it was a dream or anything...it just sucks that the way out isn't obvious._

I can hear my boots crunch the little stones on the path as I make my way towards the main building, giving the structure above a few glances of curiosity as I do. I don't know what I'm looking for exactly, but I'm certainly not going to find it from way down here.

 _Maybe everyone is hiding- setting up traps for one another to kill any unsuspecting classmates like me. That, or everyone is already dead._

I pause in my walk and slap my hands on my cheeks irritably, pressing my fingers against my temples with an irritable eye roll and a growl. Have I _always_ been so pessimistic? No, that changes right now. Everyone is probably getting food- it's morning and no one starts their day without a hearty meal. Besides, I saw Ryoma strolling around earlier after I came back from playing in the game room, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been out if someone was murdered.

 _Unless he's a murderer himself._

I drop my hands and bite my inner cheek as I resume my walking- urging my brain to get rid of those ridiculous thoughts before I face the other students.

 _I'm thinking like a grouch because I'm hungry that's all. I haven't eaten yet and my stomach is starting to growl a bit._

I pause a way down the hall where the double doors that lead to the dining hall are located. I can see the doors are open, but I can't see anyone from here since it's facing the opposite end of the corridor. It's a straight walk down and to the right of the hall. I can hear some voices though- some talking, some raised voices, but nothing I can coherently make out since I'm not close enough.

 _Hm. All of a sudden I don't feel all that hungry anymore. Maybe I don't need to go in there after all._

...That's definitely me trying to make an excuse not to go in there.

I take a few more hesitant steps towards the dining hall. There's a nervous chill that runs across my body the closer I get, up until I hear a familiar boisterous voice that echoes into the hall. I can't hear what the others are saying as I approach and hide behind a nearby alcove leading to an intersection through the school hall, but Kaito is so loud that I can hear him loud and clear from where I am.

"It doesn't fuckin' matter what his goal is- we can't let him get away with this! I can't stand letting this stupid bear get what he wants! I'M SICK OF IT!"

I flinch at Kaito's tone, despite not even being in the same room. He's really, _really_ angry…! Is it because of the killing game? Did Monokuma provoke him? It sounds like he's just about ready to...

 _Hm?_

I can hear more voices- the voices of the students which sound panicked and the annoying sound of the monokubs. What's going on in there? ...It's obvious I can't hide in here, I have to get closer if I want to find out.

I step out from behind the corner and start walking closer, keeping close to the wall as I look behind me just to make sure no one might be sneaking up on me or anything. Something about this situation makes me feel as if I'm at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"...are you going to do?!" I hear Kaito ask, voice shaking a bit and his original intensity replased with apprehension that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Please stop!" I hear Kiibo cry out, followed closely by Kaede's sudden urging shout of, "Kaito, get out of here! _RUN!"_

 _Kaito is in danger._

I break into a run just as Monosuke's Exisal appears- jumping straight down and landing just outside of the doorway of the dining hall ahead of me. It doesn't seem like he notices my presence as I get closer, moving to enter through the massive doorway I'm upset to see the frame of the Exisal fits through.

My heart is racing wildly like a jackhammer. My feet burn in my boots as I ignore the sound of my quick footsteps nearing the machine, not concerned whether anyone may hear my approach.

 _When I get there, what am I even planning on doing? That thing is a giant hunk of metal and I'm just this tiny little thing…_

I close my eyes and my hand unsheathes the knife Monosuke had given me before. Funny that I'd actually end up using it on him instead of another student.

With a precision I'm still unable to explain, other than maybe loosely crediting it to vague memories I recall from glances of the Exisal's design I actively didn't bother to commit to my memory, I jam my survival knife as hard as I can into a part of the Exisal that feels a lot like wires and penetrable plastic. I put my entire weight behind that stab, and once it makes its mark, a current of electricity runs up my body- prompting me to jerk in surprise and release the blade immediately.

I just barely manage to suppress a squeak at the burning feeling, making me look down to see my left palm a shade of red- the area I'd been holding the metal hilt of the blade a moderate burnt pink.

 _Ow! Ow, ow, ow, that's not what I had in mind when I went for it…! Shoot, I should have put on my gloves before I left my room!_

Realizing I'm still next to the Exisal in the middle of the hall, I dart back down the corridor on my tip toes, now making an effort to quiet my footsteps despite my heart dropping at the sound of screaming from within the dining hall. I swing around the corner again and get down low on my knees, peeking around the side and catching my breath as I clutch my burnt hand against my chest.

Terror floods my veins as I listen to the commotion, my brain coming up with only the worst possible scenarios since I'm unable to make out what's going on in there. Did I make things worse? Is Kaito okay? Did someone _else_ get hurt…?!

The awful thought of something happening to Rantaro flashes in my mind and I cringe with immense guilt. When the screaming starts to get rather... _mechanical,_ I frown in confusion.

An explosion makes me flinch, hiding back around the corner and eventually just jumping on my feet to leave the main building altogether. Anxious and scared of retaliation for my actions, I keep on running until I get back to the dormitory building, abandoning my original plan to meet with the others and instead scurrying up the metal stairs loudly and fumbling to open my room door. Once I get it unlocked though, I jump in and slam it shut on accident, only succeeding in spooking myself some more as I lock the door and jump to my corner where my old uniform still sits in it's baggie.

…

Agonizing minutes pass that I expect the door to be thrown open or broken down by an Exisal. I don't know how long I wait exactly, but I eventually start to relax again after the time passes- every second getting longer and longer than the last. Once I'm sure nobody is about to break down my door, I let out a heavy breath of relief and finger the empty survival knife sheath at my side.

At first, I just play around tracing the rim of the leather mindlessly. I don't think much of it's emptiness, picking at it a little...until I realize exactly what this means.

I left the knife inside of the Exisal. Which in turn means it's only a matter of time before the monokubs realize what happened.

 _Darn._ _I messed up._

…

My eyelids are getting heavy...it's probably best I just keep trying to sleep. If those bears figure it out, then they figure it out- there's nothing I can do about it. If I go up to the Exisal and try to remove it myself, I'll probably just burn my hand even more.

I set aside my items and curl up on the cold floor again, grimacing as my body, which was warming up nicely outside the room, shivers upon contact. At first, I roll around for a while trying to get comfortable. It's almost exactly like the first time I'd fallen asleep without the blanket, a difficult endeavor to find the best position to sleep. Once I finally drift off though, my worries fade away for the moment and all I see is the color of my dreams.

* * *

When I wake up again, it's to an awful back ache. I'm so groggy and cold I can hardly bring myself to get on my feet, but after a few coughs rattle my body, I sit up with a shiver and rub my eyes free of glossy water from sleep. At first, I have to brush off some really tiny stones and pebbles from sticking to my body, wincing as my left hand reminds me of the burn on my palm when I accidentally use it to brush the pebbles off.

You know, left in the worst state possible for me courtesy of the monokubs.

…

Maybe a few minutes pass where I just sit there shivering and look around my room thoughtlessly. I'm still here. Still alive in hell. Still alive for someone to pick off.

 _What time is it?_

I pick up the monopad by my other items carefully with my right hand and turn it on, the first thing I read is the time, that being ten minutes past midnight.

 _Alright, it should be perfectly safe for me to come out. Most of the other students should be asleep right now, right? Not many of them seem like the night owl type._

I stand up and grab my bow, carefully putting it in my hair and sliding my boots on as best as I can with one hand. I doubt I'll need my monopad, but I grab my belt and slip it in it's holder anyways on impulse. Once I have it set, I pull on my gloves and make a face as my left palm immediately objects the pressure of the fabric fitting it's shape.

 _If I don't wear it though, the burn will be obvious and everyone will ask questions._

I cross my fingers and open the door out of my dorm room, slipping out quietly as I hold my left hand close to my chest protectively. I only relax the moment I see the dormitory building void of the other ultimates, giving the interior a few scans before all the air I didn't realize I was holding it expels from my body in one sigh of relief. Good, it's just me here. Now I just-

"PRAIRIE DOG~!"

I shriek a little at the sound of a door swinging open, barely given the time to turn when a white and violet blur catapults into me from my right, lifting me up off my feet and squeezing my midsection hard enough to crack my already aching back. It isn't until I realize the assault is actually a _hug_ that I stop trying to push away from the violet goblin attached to me- switching to thumping my right fist on his back irritably.

"L-Let go, what is wrong with you?! Kokichi, you're actually hurting me!" I complain pathetically in a whine, hating how utterly unaffected he appears to be by my hitting. When he lets out a delighted hum and spins me around, I open my mouth to call him a few choice names- but pause when I catch a glimpse inside of his room.

 _There's a bed. There's blankets. There's a heater. There's a bathroom. There's a wardrobe with several similar outfits to what he's wearing._

I should have known. I shouldn't be so surprised. Of _course_ my room is an empty cold room of nothingness. Of _course_ Kokichi and the others have better accommodations than me.

And yet despite everything, a throb of hurt runs up my chest, hitting my heart with such a force that I stop fighting Kokichi's hug and just go slack as I wait for him to eventually let me go. Noticing my resistance fade, Kokichi sets me back down on my feet and doesn't stop me when I take a step back from him.

Silence.

Kokichi studies me with a familiar unidentifiable expression, turning to look back inside his room when he seems to notice my eyes flick towards it in my quiet painful envy. I can only imagine what my expression probably looks like- especially the terrible sleep quality I got. Honestly though, all I feel is hurt when I see everything I've been denied by the monokubs.

 _I deserve this. I was the one that kept disobeying the monokubs. I was the one that broke three Exisals. I asked for this treatment._

My throat gets a little tight and I look away when Kokichi's gaze returns to me, a grin formed on his features.

"Funny! You came back from the dead just when we finally killed Monokuma! This is great!" Kokichi chirps, making me frown at both points in confusion. Somehow, and I'm rather grateful for it, my mind drifts off of what I'd figured out about the state of my dorm room.

"Huh? …What do you mean 'came back from the dead'? I didn't die, I blacked out. And what do you mean by-" I start, only for Kokichi's eyes to sparkle as he jumps up and down, causing his hair to bounce as well.

"Oh really? You _looked_ pretty dead hanging from the yellow bear's Exisal! Besides, they all even said you were dead! ...Well, I guess that might have been a lie. I hate lies and jokes! That, or you're totally a zomb-o waiting for the right moment to eat my brains out like strawberry ice cream," Kokichi cuts me off, grinning and circling around me in interest as he looks me up and down curiously. "That's probably why your skin is ice cold, riight? Or are you about to tell me you sparkle in the sunlight too?"

 _Oh, he noticed that? ...Besides that though, what the heck is he even talking about? He's all over the place again!_ I think, only then feeling mildly panicked when I notice I'd left my dorm room open a crack.

Not only that though…

Kokichi has _conveniently_ placed himself right between me and my room.

 _This rat…! He wants to see inside my room! How did he…? Tch. He really is a clever one._

As if realizing I've noticed his game, Kokichi's grin gets sly. My heart speeds up, waiting to see if he'll actually go for it.

…

He whirls around and darts for my door, but I catch him by the back of his jacket with both hands just in time, hearing him laugh as I swing us around to switch places and grab my door to slam it shut behind me. My left hand aches from the use, but I try not to let it show as I stand in front of my room door protectively when Kokichi turns to look at me- giving him a glare of disapproval.

"Ooo, why are you so protective of your room, Prairie Dog? What are you hiding in there?" The prick cackles, leaning on the wall beside me and my door with a grin of amusement.

"Nothing. There's nothing in there," I answer honestly.

 _And don't I know it…_

Kokichi narrows his eyes a little at my statement, but says nothing else on the matter. Instead, he changes the topic on me again.

"So back to you being super dead. Everyone else thinks it too, you know? Some of them even cried. I, myself, was in utter tears when I thought you died. So young…! So unhelpful…! So tragic…!" Kokichi laments, eyes watering in dismay I can just tell is fake.

"Crocodile tears," I simply huff.

"Rantaro is depressed though. Seriously, he was even blaming himself and everything! It was pretty sad to watch- he barely batted an eye when the yellow Exisal accidentally crushed Monokuma to death. He was a total debbie downer about it all and was like," Kokichi bounces back- pausing and clearing his throat to deepen it in an obviously mocking way that sounds _nothing_ like Rantaro. "'What's there to really celebrate about? One of us still _diiieeed'!_ Yadda, yadda- blah, blah, blah."

The way he is causes my head to spin a little. I can hardly keep up with him- but I guess Rantaro is upset. That's not at all good news to hear. I'll have to see him when I can and…

 _Hold on._

"Wait, when did Monosuke crush Monokuma?" I ask in surprise at the familiarity of the scenario, watching Kokichi tap his chin in thought and hum. After a second, he pushes off the wall and faces me, taking my hands and making me yelp on impulse when he squeezes my left hand.

He pauses and gives me a curious look, making my heart speed up nervously when he grins and lets go of my right hand to carefully pull up the hem of my glove. I try to stop him at first, but he swats my other hand away and continues pulling my glove until the burn on my palm is somewhat visible.

 _Is he going to say something about it? Oh no. No, no, no… The monokubs are going to figure it all out and then-_

"...This morning in the dining hall," Kokichi bluntly answers after pulling my glove back into place, making a point to hold my right hand again but instead hold my left wrist to swing our arms side to side playfully.

I blink a little in confusion, a little jarred that he doesn't address the state of my hand or questions it. He hardly gives me a moment to ask though, cutting me off when he sees me open my mouth to say something about it.

"That idiot Kaito tried to attack Monokuma and instead of crushing _Momota_ to death, the Exisal sort of stalled and all it's weight landed straight on Monokuma~! Karma is a bitch, am I right?" Kokichi chuckles, laughing even more when I wrinkle my nose at his curse. "Karma...is a... _biiiit-"_

"D-Don't be so profane, you're reminding me of Miu," I cut him off this time, snatching my limbs back from his hold despite replaying what had happened earlier in the day.

 _Then that mechanical_ _ **noise**_ _...I didn't just save Kaito, I got rid of Monokuma! ...They can't know about it though._

...But Monokuma is a robot, which probably means there might be spares.

"Hmph!" When I snap out of my thoughts and look up at Kokichi, he's straightened up with his hands on his hips and a mildly irritated look on his face. "Let me guess, _you_ think there's a spare Monokuma too? God, both you and Kaede _really_ seem to want this killing game to continue for some reason! Quit being negative, leave that to Run-turdo!"

Something about that comment suddenly flicks on my temper. If he intended to get a rise out of me, then he succeeded yet again.

"...And here I thought you were one of the smarter ones around here. I guess I was wrong. You say _Kaede_ wears rose-tinted lenses? Well, it sounds like she dropped them and you picked them up. You're naive if you think a place built like _this_ for _seventeen specific_ ultimates to kill one another doesn't have the funds or the means to supply as many killing game mascots as they want. We aren't getting out of here- not today, not tomorrow. When Monokuma comes back, I won't say I told you so."

…

 _Good god, where did that come from? Wow, that terrible sleep quality didn't do me_ _ **any**_ _favors, did it? Although, I probably shouldn't blame it all on that- it's obvious I have a bit of an attitude problem. Crap, I definitely upset Kokichi..._

What would Rantaro want me to do?

 _...Well, if there's any time I ought to be following Rantaro's wise words, now's the time. I need to apologize._

"...I'm sorry, that was rude and insensitive," I start, swallowing down guilt. "You're not-"

He moves so fast that I nearly don't see it, making me squeak as his hand slams into my door just beside my head with such a force that the loud bang makes me shrink back from him anxiously. His expression has completely morphed, taking on a very scary visage that stresses me out just staring at it. To make matters worse, he's _right in my face._

"I _know._ I'm _not_ naive. I _don't_ actually think all of that. It's a _lie,"_ he very deliberately and carefully says in a low dangerous tone, eyes narrowed on me.

Kokichi holds my gaze for a good few solid minutes before leaning back and plastering the usual smile to his face. Albeit, this time it's noticeably much brighter and cheery than usual, clearly giving off the fact that it's totally fake.

"Don't bother finishing your apology, I don't accept it. If you can't cope with the consequences of your actions, that's your problem," Kokichi innocently comments, staring me down with his violet hues.

"...J-Just because I have a temper and can't 'cope' doesn't mean I'm not gonna speak up about what I want to speak up about. Did you already forget what happened in the gym? If you thought that was going to make me stop, I-I hate to be the bearer of bad news," I manage to respond after a moment, willing myself to stare up at him dead in the eye. "By the way? I'm not sorry anymore. You disgust me." At that, Kokichi stares back boldly with that fake smile of his.

Neither of us blink as we wordlessly stand there in our weird little squabble. Moments pass and still we stand there. No one enters the dormitory building, no one leaves. Seems like it's just dumb Oma and myself here.

"...I don't have time for this," I eventually huff as my temper flares up a little again, running my hand through my locks and flipping my hair right in his face so his victory laugh is more or less cut off when he's forced to swat my hair out of his mouth and eyes. "Have fun lying to yourself, _Oma."_

"Ooh, are we on a last-name basis now? Nah, I'm gonna keep calling you Prairie Dog, that one seems to bug you the most. See you later, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi chirps brightly.

...He doesn't move from his spot and I don't move from my own.

"...You really _are_ the Ultimate Annoyance," I grumble, seeing exactly what he's trying to achieve by not leaving. "Fine. We can just stand out here all night then. Either way, you're not looking in my room."

Kokichi chuckles, giving me a sly grin as he slides a finger just by his lips. Seems like his irritation has diminished a bit since I lashed out at him, thankfully.

"Hey, Prairie Dog...don't you care that Rantaro is mourning over you? You don't seem very concerned about it. I thought you two were so close! Why don't you go down and visit him in his room?"

"No. Of course, I care, but there's more important things to worry about at the immediate moment. Like you. Trying to break into my room. So you can snoop around like the rat you are. You know?" I growl, giving him a pointed look. "You weren't even supposed to know I was around."

"Maybe you shouldn't have been screwing around with the Namco arcade machine playing PAC-MAN then, huh?" Kokichi snickers, before grinning wider and adding, "How'd you get that stupidly ridiculous high score, by the way?"

I go dead silent for a moment.

"...Are you leaving yet?" I instead ask, avoiding the question.

"No. Don't you like talking to me? I enjoy our chats! Even if you _did_ piss me off in the beginning." Kookichi's eyes start to water again, his expression twisting with hurt. "You really hurt my feelings, you know? And to think I was waiting hours with my bedroom door open a crack for you to finally come out of your room!"

My eyes widen a little at that revelation. He was deliberately _waiting?!_

"W-What? You _planned_ to run into me?!" I gape in surprise, watching his tears vanish as he replaces his expression for one of sudden excitement.

"Yeah~! I mean, I didn't think that I'd be interested in your room, but when I was playing PAC-MAN and saw your score, I knew 'BLTZ' could _only_ mean you! Perfect Blitz the World Famous _Ultimate Rock Climber!"_ He pauses when he sees the look of horror that crawls over my features at the way he says it, prompting his smile to settle into an innocent look. "Oh, yeeeaah…about that. Since you were proclaimed dead and everything, everyone that knew your celebrity secret spilled the beans. Who would have guessed!"

"...Everyone knows? E-Even Rantaro?" I ask, voice dipping a little as most of my fire suddenly souses with realization.

"Yep. Everyone. Run-turdo included. What's wrong? You're _popular!_ People like you even though you were a total bitch before the killing game and your amnesia!" Kokichi laughs, smiling again and resting his arms behind his head. "Some people would _kill_ for that kind of reputation!"

"...Th-That's not at all tasteful, Kokichi," I scoff at his little joke, wrinkling my nose. "Also, no, it's _terrible._ I hate it. If my amnesia is the reason I'm no longer the way people have described me to have been before, then I'm grateful. I-I sounded ten times worse than I am right now, and I have enough of a problematic attitude."

"Wow, low self-esteem much? You're not _that_ bad, Prairie Dog! ...But if you ever want to be, my offer to teach you my ways is still open~" Kokichi comments, voice dipping low as he takes a step closer. My heart suddenly skips a beat at the familiarity of this action. He's not gonna pull another knife on me, is he? "Who knows, it might even save your life. You could make yourself to be too cute to be killed...too cute to be ignored…"

 _He's getting even closer than before, what is he doing?!_

My cheeks burn red when I notice his left hand rest where he'd slammed it earlier, allowing him to lean in unbearably close.

"...Cute enough to _get away with murder…"_

That's when I feel the lightest tinkering at my belt, making me slap my hand down right over where his other hand has snuck to- catching him just in time as he completely unhooks my room key from one of the clips on my belt. Despite my red cheeks, I wrangle my key out of his fingers and glare back at him.

"Walk away, Kokichi," I state clearly with a firm no-nonsense tone. "I punched Rantaro in the face in a previous reset for irritating me, so just _imagine_ what I'd do to you."

At my glare and statement, Kokichi stares at me curiously in obvious contemplation- as if weighing the validity of my words and trying to decide whether I would go through with the threat or not. After a second, he smiles and steps back from me- though he grabs hold of my hand much to my annoyance.

"I'll walk away if you walk with me!" Kokichi says, making sure to hold my good hand much to my quiet surprise. When I eye him cautiously, he giggles at my hesitance. "You don't hate me as much as you pretend to, Prairie Dog. Besides, you heard Kaede before! We're all a team against Monokuma! We gotta play nice with one another, _riight?"_

I study his features a little, playing his words in my head thoughtfully.

"Is that you saying we ought to forgive and forget what's happened between us so far then? You pulling a knife on me by the stairs, me trying to tackle you in the gym, our little argument earlier and your pickpocketing problem?" I inquire, even though I have no intention to apologize for anything anymore, discreetly pressing my key ever so slowly and quietly into my door to unlock it in advance.

 _I gotta fight fire with fire in this case. If he wants to lie and play these games to try and distract me so he can get answers to his own benefit, then fine. I'll play too._

" _Yes!_ Let's start off with a clean slate- okie dokies? I'm Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!" Kokichi chirps innocently, none the wiser of my little schemes I'm planning to use against him. He holds his hand out towards me in a greeting, flashing a smile I already know is fake. He's trying to do the same to me.

So I decide my first objective is to point it out.

"K-Kokichi...you and I both know very well you're not sorry. That's okay though, you know? I _was_ really mean to you, but it's my own fault for letting my temper get out of hand," I start, reaching up and taking his hand in both of mine despite my left hand objecting the action. As I gently massage his knuckles, Kokichi's expression becomes somewhat...strained. He's still smiling, but his left eye is sort of twitching ever so slightly in obvious disapproval. I'm a little surprised how easily I notice those little slips on his face, but I chalk it up to the fact that I'm simply observant.

 _It doesn't matter if he hates it or likes it though, he just needs to be distracted._

I look up at him through my lashes, giving him a charming smile on my part. Best mode of action? _Don't lie._ He'll realize exactly what's going on if I do. I might regret this later, but who cares. I'll just avoid the topic if he brings it up.

"You're very clever to be able to put on all those masks whenever you want. If I were someone else, I'd have probably bought it. It's actually really impressive," I comment, taking a step towards _him_ much to his obvious surprise. His expression is unreadable once again, but what gives him away is that he takes a step back on impulse, stepping back again when I test the waters and advance towards him some more. I'm still holding his hand, despite feeling him try to remove it from my grip. "Not to mention, being clever is a very attractive quality in a guy."

Kokichi pauses, managing an grin bordering on a grimace as he gains a bit of his footing and asks, "Are you admitting what I _think_ you're admitting, Prairie Dog?"

"And if I am?" I offhandedly avoid the question, since even saying 'yes' would be a lie that would break the illusion. "Just 'cause I'm shy around boys doesn't mean I can't be attracted to them."

Kokichi seems to swallow a little, though it's so discreet and barely noticeable that I question whether he actually did it or not. When I take another step closer, he backs up towards the other end of the second level where his room is, prompting me to walk just in his line of sight so he can't see I've left the key to my dorm room in.

"The Ultimate Supreme Leader...someone like you probably has a lot of girls in line for your attention, huh? I wouldn't be too surprised to hear that. You're cute, clever, _and_ a natural born leader with charisma," I comment, watching his back hit the rails of the metal platform's end to signify the complete lack of escape he has as I walk right up to him and...mentally cringe as I lean in to wrap my arms around his neck.

"You're gonna hurt Rantaro's feelings if he learns about this, you know? Shouldn't you be saying these kinds of things to someone that _actually_ finds you remotely attractive? You don't do it for me. Like, at all," Kokichi comments, obviously trying to ward me off by inciting my temper again. "When we get out of here, you ought to look for a guy that's more around your age and type. Like a preschooler or something~!"

"I don't want someone from there. I'd prefer someone smart, tall, dark, and handsome," I say, hugging him and fiddling with the back of his scarf as I gently hook my foot discreetly behind his left knee. At my words, Kokichi falters just a bit and his fake smile slips into confusion, making him frown as he repeats my last words under his breath.

"Wait, what? I'm not tall…?" He comments, eyeing me weirdly as I look up at him and give him a sudden wicked smile. Just like that, I watch as he puts two-and-two together behind his violet eyes.

" _Exactly."_

In a single fluid motion, I yank his scarf up so it covers his face and tangles in his hair, pulling my leg back so his own gives out under him. His grunt and curse go muffled under his scarf as he collapses on his behind, me scurrying back to my room where I'll be safe from any retaliation. I don't look back where he's fallen since I know hardly much damage was done, grabbing my door knob and key.

"You must be mental if you think I'd ever find _you_ attractive in any way, shape, or form! JERK!" I snap, just as I slam the door and lock it behind me.

Silence fills my room. Dead silence. Not the same surreal silence I'd experienced when walking through the school last night, either. My hand aches from excessive use, but I ignore it.

…

I hear three soft reps of knocking on my door, making me frown and lean against it with an eye roll.

"Hey, Prairie Dog? ... _I knew you had it in you,"_ I hear Kokichi chuckle on the other side just barely with how much noise is blocked from reaching the room. I'm smart enough not to respond this time, instead waiting until I strain my ears to hear his footsteps make their way to his own room beside mine. He probably knows just how much I hate hearing him say something like that.

 _I'm nothing like him. I just did what I had to so he'd leave me alone, that's all. He deserved to have a taste of his own medicine. And now that I know he wants to enter my room, there's no way I'm leaving it for him to lockpick his way in._

Why? What's the point of actually hiding my room from Kokichi and the others? ...All it actually does is make me look suspicious.

 _Because. They all have good rooms, and the fact I don't...is sort of embarrassing. I don't know why...I just know I don't want them to see it. They'll just pity me and my situation some more, which I neither need nor want._

...Pride.

 _I'll figure it out myself. I can deal with it. I don't have to trouble or worry anyone else- it'll be fine._

Once again, hours start to pass and I stay leaning against the door, eventually deciding to move around my cold room and pace to generate some heat in my body when I start shivering again. There's nothing else to do…

My doorknob suddenly shakes a little and I run over to it, locking it again just as I hear it unlock. I strain to hear footsteps walking away, blowing a small breath of relief as a result.

 _Persistent rat._

With that, I step back from the door and sigh. I guess this is what's gonna be happening then, huh? Him unlocking it with his little black magic tricks and me locking it back? Alright, whatever. Let him try.

But he's not entering my room.

With that said, I stay in there and continue pacing around to warm myself up.

 _ **End of 2.2 - Deliberate Misdirection**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:** It's gotten a bit quiet in the comments section on this platform, but no worries- the story will continue to be updated here regardless~ ❀_


	15. 2:3 - Recuperation

_**2.3 - Recuperation**_

The door to my room unlocks for the fifth time that night with a gentle click. I quickly reach up from where I'm sitting with my back against the door to clumsily find and turn the lock for the fifth time as well, eyes closed and head aching. This time, it's not hurting due to use of my intuition, but rather due to lack of sleep and the fact that my room is a freezer. I'm shivering like crazy, but despite it all, I continue to refuse exiting my room altogether.

The war between Kokichi and I has gone on for a while. I honestly can't help but wonder how _he_ is still active and energetic enough to continue torturing me by trying to get into my room, especially considering it's nearly three in the morning according to my stupid monopad. Doesn't he need sleep too? Or did he catch up on it after making his plans to run into me earlier when he found my score on the Namco machine?

I don't know, really… I just wish he would leave me alone already. I want to sleep- maybe in the library or something. My mind has completely changed regarding this room after being in here so long without the blanket Monotaro provided me. Not even a locked room in a killing game is worth suffering this cold dump!

" _...hnnng!_ Prairie Dog, you can't stay in there forever!" I hear Kokichi suddenly complain from outside- the first thing he's said to me following my trick on him earlier in the night. "Just lemme see your room! It's totally suspicious! Don't tell me you're willing to _starve_ yourself to hide what's in there- I _know_ you haven't eaten yet! You've only been awake the times when the dining hall has been closed!"

"...c-come back after f-five business days," I respond, only slightly stammering due to the cold. It's hard to control my voice, but somehow I manage to make the fact that I'm freezing discreet enough that it can pass off as my usual shy voice.

"I don't wanna. I want to see Prairie Dog's room," I hear Kokichi insist in a stubborn huff, prompting me to open my eyes just slightly as a violent shiver runs across my body.

"...r-really c-c-cold…" I mumble, hugging my knees against my chest to make myself as small as possible and using my hair as a means to warm myself.

"What? What are you saying, I can't hear you," the voice on the other side of the door complains, but I don't answer this time as I eventually stand up and brush my hair away to look up.

As I take a step forward, my bare feet sink into the moist green moss and grass under me. It's soft and cool to the touch with without shoes, so I continue to watch my feet as I walk ahead.

A stray breeze brushes through my hair and I shiver, despite the sun beating down on my shoulders and arms.

A couple of steps later and I stop when the vivid green grass suddenly cuts off to dry dead grass and brittle cracked dirt. I stop just at the point where the divide between green and brown is, looking up to see the expanse of land ahead of me in a similar dead state, the smell of burnt chemicals entering my nose and-

" _Whoa._ THIS is your room? It looks like a jail cell!"

I open my eyes and jerk up from where I'm laying, eyes blurry with sleep and head spinning. Confused and angling my face slightly from where I am, I can just barely make out the blurry silhouette of a figure standing close to where I am.

There's no grass, dirt, or sunlight anymore. Just cold cement and gray walls all around me.

"Huh…?" I mumble in confusion, both at the figure and the sudden change in the environment. At the weak noise I make, the figure turns towards me and crouches down to my level.

"Wow, you look terrible. What are you looking at me like that for anyways? I lock pick, _remember?_ We were doing this for an annoyingly long time! It hurts my feelings you forgot already, I thought we were friends!" The figure complains, while I study their blurry face in confusion.

"W-Who…?" I ask in a weak stammer, struggling to identify and place their face despite that I can somewhat make out their expressions at least.

The figure goes dead silent and stands up, grinning a stiff smile that betrays none of their emotions.

"Great. She's delirious...well, it's no wonder, you've gone two whole days without food and water and _then_ you decided to lock yourself in a cold-ass room like this. Sheesh, and here _I_ thought _you_ were one of the smarter ones here!"

I don't answer, sitting up with weak wobbly arms and looking up at the figure curiously once I'm upright. The figure doesn't say or do anything for a moment, but eventually they walk out of the room- footsteps making metallic sounds as they descend somewhere and knock on something down below. I can hear talking after a moment of just sitting there, starting to feel a little warmer from the open door.

 _...It's warm out past that doorway…_

I weakly start to crawl and half drag myself to the doorway where the figure disappeared past, but just as I pull myself to the doorway, they reappear and laugh at the sight of me.

"Aw, now I'm being followed too~! I told Rantaro, but you know, I really ought to just leave you in there after what you did to me last night. You got me all excited and then you totally stomped on my poor little heart!"

I still can't make out their face as I lean against my propped up arms, blocked from leaving since the figure is obstructing my path. When my arms start to get tired, I flop back onto my side weakly.

"...you're hopeless. Well, I _maaay_ be the leader of an evil secret organization, but I'm a pacifist at heart. With that said...I don't wanna help you. So I'll get Kirumi too!"

The figure turns and runs away yet again, leaving me alone for the second time. The way out is accessible now, but I just lay where I am as my stomach rumbles and a shiver travels up my spine. I don't have the energy to move…

 _That's what I get for playing in the rain even after Aika said I shouldn't._

I reach down, honestly surprised to feel myself completely dry. Just as I'm trying to figure out all these confusing dilemmas and breaks in my consciousness, my stomach rumbles again and brushes my confusion aside. I'm really hungry.

"...ah…? _WAAAH!_ What-? Where-?! _Why…?!_ Why is Prairie's _body…?!"_

I open my eyes a crack to see another figure just outside my doorway. Whether it's the same figure or not, I can't really tell.

"Hey, Kii-boy! Watch her so she doesn't do something stupid, like crawl off the second floor."

"E-eh? Kokichi? Wait, do you mean…?!" The figure starts as they walk out of the doorway to look over the edge of something and then turn to take a few steps closer towards me. Once they're right next to me, they crouch down close enough for me to make out their sharp cyan blue eyes. After eyeing me for a moment, they lift their head take a look around my room, eyes settling on something in one corner before looking at me again. "Prairie, are you okay?"

I feel a cool hand rest against my cheek- one of metal rather than skin. At the feeling, I shiver and let out a soft breath of frail exhaustion, inching back from their touch in fetal position.

"C-C-Cold…" I mumble weakly.

"Huh? But…? Is that a robophobic comment…?!"

I manage to lift a hand to try and pull my hair over my cold face, but my nails sort of graze something sensitive at the back of my neck that makes me squeak and jerk my hand away. The figure must be concerned or something, because I feel them brush some of my hair aside and lean over me to look at what's bothering me at the back of my neck and-

"HEY! What are you doing to Prairie Dog?! You're trying to take advantage of her while she's out aren't you, you dirty two legged poor excuse for a toaster! I said to watch her, not sexually assault her!"

"GAH!" The figure drops my hair like it's burnt them. "No I wasn't! T-That's not it, I was just checking on her!"

I curl up more, voices tuning in and out of focus. Sounds like they're all still talking with one another, but their voices sound a bit distant. There's four figures here now, two of them interacting with the one that was looking at my neck, and…

"Try not to move, Prairie."

A warm hand runs along the back of my head, brushing my hair out of my face enough to meet my weak gaze with a small smile on their part. They rest a palm, one with several bracelets around their wrist, against my forehead and then sigh after a moment when I feel another shiver of the cold run across my body.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but it's good to see you. You'll be fine now, don't worry."

 _Who's talking to me…?_

I mumble something incomprehensible under my breath, just as the person sits me up and slips their arm under my knees to lift me up in their arms. As soon as I feel the warmth, I melt into the embrace and close my eyes to try and suppress my cold trembling.

"See? And to think you thought I was _lying._ I would never! I hate lies and jokes!"

"Do you now? That completely contradicts your actions."

"Hah! That's 'cause it's a lie, Kii-boy!"

"My name is _Kiibo!"_

"Is this...Prairie's room? What a terrible accommodation- it's been purposefully neglected specifically for her. Monokuma truly wasn't lying when he stated his desire to ' _break'_ her. I absolutely cannot allow one of our own to suffer like this."

"Why did she faint though? She was fine a while ago when I was talking to her. She even beat me up a little! It was really mean, I thought our feelings were mutual when she started flirting with me."

"Prairie might have acquired mild hypothermia judging by the temperature of her room. Furthermore, it might be affecting her more since I doubt she's been able to eat or drink water since she first woke up."

"Do you mean...she hasn't eaten or drank anything in _two whole days?!_ But she's such a small human, wouldn't that be bad for her?!"

"Hmph! Not that _you'd_ understand, but that would be bad for _any_ human! It's the equivalent of you not being able to fill your gas tank back up every twelve hours!"

"For the last time, I am not powered by gas!"

I feel movement, clinging to the person carrying me as the sound of a door opens. Opening my eyes a crack, I'm able to make out a room. Warmth encompasses me completely in the form of a blanket that wraps around me before I feel someone settle in a bed with me- along with a second body.

"I can help warm her too! I'll make myself moderately warm so that it's not uncomfortable for her."

"Make sure you do not raise the temperature too high, or you could burn her due to her hypothermia. Whatever you can manage is much appreciated, Kiibo."

"Ah, so you're part heater too? I guess you really are a useful piece of equipment. Heh, if she were a little more conscious though, I _know_ she'd flip out knowing she was in a situation like this. I'm sticking around to see the show when she wakes up!"

"Are you seriously teasing and mocking her while she's down? Rantaro, I can kick him out if you ask me to!"

"No, it's fine. I don't believe he's actually doing any harm. After all, he's the one that came to find Kirumi and I to help. If he _really_ didn't care, he would have left her where she was."

I feel a hand run through my hair, moving it a little where the blanket can cover my head as well but leave enough of an opening for my face to breathe.

"Shall we keep her presence between us four until she's alert then?"

"Yeah, Kirumi. If she doesn't wake up until after we all meet at the dining hall in the morning, don't mention it."

"Very well. I will take care of it then."

"Ooo, I _love_ secret keeping! ...why are we not telling everyone Prairie's alive, again?"

"Obviously, _Kokichi,_ because she's-"

"Really weak and easy pickings for a murderer? Huh. You don't say, Kii-boy."

"Don't ask if you already know?!"

Unable to keep myself conscious enough to listen anymore, I allow my focus to drift off into to warmth around me. I'm really tired and it's just so nice that it's not so cold anymore.

And so...I sink into sleep completely.

* * *

 _...Warm. Safe. That's what home is supposed to feel like, right?_

I snuggle into the warmth beside me a little more even though the hazy curtain of sleep on my consciousness is starting to lift ever so slowly, causing movement from something on either side of me.

"Oh. I believe she's just about ready to awaken."

"Huh, this soon? Good, I was hoping the show would start soon! This is gonna be good, I just _know_ it!"

"Kokichi, her anxiety with the opposite sex is not a source of entertainment! If you start terrorizing her, I'll sue you for more than just your robophobic remarks when we get out of here!"

"I will retrieve her clothing from her room- I'm sure she'd like to wear something clean than what she currently has. However...what should I do about the others? It may be early, but we have a few early risers among us and they might ask questions as to why I am in your room, Rantaro."

"Just tell them I'm sick or something- attribute it to Prairie, they'll believe it."

 _Hey...that voice. It's right up against my ear, I can hear it rumble through them directly._

"Very well. I will be back shortly. Please try not to let her move too much until I am back."

The sound of a door opening and closing makes me stir a little more. Half of me wants to see what's going on around me with all these voices, but the other half wants me to ignore it and go back to sleep. It doesn't seem to important after all, I might as well just keep cuddling here with Rantaro where it's warm.

…

…?

 _Rantaro?_

My eyes open and I abruptly sit up on my knees, fast enough that the people in the room audibly react. My head is spinning as I press a hand against my face to settle my uneasy senses. It isn't until the spinning feeling ceases that questions start to form more coherently in my mind.

 _Where am I? What happened? Didn't I...kill Monokuma on accident?!_

"It wasn't me! It was an accident! It's his fault for trying to…! To…" I trail off once I realize who the three confused faces around me are, prompting me to clamp my jaw shut when I notice one of them in particular half laying right next to me.

He has a light shade of bright green hair and minty green eyes which study me curiously following my outburst. Slowly but surely, as I register Rantaro's presence and where my placement is in the room, the pieces all connect in my head.

I'm in bed with Rantaro.

…

As soon as Rantaro notices my face start to turn into a mortifying shade of red embarrassment, he sits up more and holds up his hands. He smiles at me, but it's obviously an attempt to ease me more than it is an honest smile since it's a bit strained.

"Prairie, it's alright, don't panic-" Rantaro tries to calm my nerves.

So I proceed to panic.

I jump back out of the bed with a shout of horror, only for my arms to pinwheel when my foot gets caught in the sheets and sends me in a tangled mess on the floor with a painful thump.

" _Ow!"_ I yelp, hearing a sudden uproar of laughter from somebody a few feet away where I've fallen. As I look up, I see Kiibo jump to my side hastily with an expression of concern painted on his features, paralleled completely by Kokichi who I realize is the one laughing up a storm behind him at my expense.

"Are you alright?" Kiibo asks, prompting me to wiggle in an attempt to get up and realize the futility of my efforts when I'm unable to. I resort to shaking my head "no" in response to the robot's query, a red faced mess as Rantaro jumps off the bed and joins him in helping me get untangled from this mess with a bit of a helpless smile that I avoid looking at when I notice it.

"Hey, Prairie Dog! Welcome back from the dead again!" Kokichi laughs. "Remember earlier last night when I said karma is a bitch?"

Rantaro and Kiibo pause to share looks of confusion between one another, looking back up at Kokichi in obvious confusion.

"You spoke to her before she passed out last night? So you were telling the truth about that flirting remark you made...?" Kiibo inquires, though his tone sounds somewhat dubious of his claims.

"Yeah! Yesterday night around midnight, Prairie Dog totally professed her undying love to me under the gentle glow of the moonlight. It's true!"

 _That's not what happened, I made you eat dirt and you know it._

My eyes flick momentarily towards Rantaro to gauge his reaction from where I'm laying as Kiibo manages to free one of my arms. Unsurprisingly, the green haired male is wearing an expression as dry as a desert. Of course he knows Kokichi is lying- or at least making it more dramatic than what actually happened.

"Just kidding, that's a lie. She did trip me though, I was telling the truth about her cruelly beating me up!"

I sit up quickly, Kiibo turning and glancing my way as I shake my head in objection with a blush. Time to pull a Kokichi- I don't want Rantaro to chastise me again for losing my temper!

"N-No! He's lying! I didn't do any of that!" I object, pulling on Rantaro's sleeve to get his attention. He looks at me curiously, green eyes searching for the truth in my blue orbs. "I didn't try to beat him up!"

Rantaro's eyes narrow on me slightly, causing my heart and stomach to drop a little. He's not any easier to fool than before- this guy is just as difficult to trick as Kokichi. I better stick with my story now though, or he will definitely be upset with me for lying to his face on top of everything else.

"Oh- _ho!_ Is that the game you want to play then? Prairie Dog, you're playing with fire. We both know what you said and did last night! _Naughty, naughty~!"_ Kokichi laughs more, making me fidget and look from him to Rantaro's dubious face and back in rising panic. Kokichi is insisting it, I need to say something that will make Kokichi look like a liar for his current claims!

"S-Stop, you're painting it all wrong!" I complain, cheeks stained red with shame at the memory of the night. "You're just trying to get Rantaro upset with me!"

"Kokichi, I said don't terrorize her!" Kiibo speaks up in my defense as he jumps onto his feet, causing Kokichi to backpedal with no obvious concerns in regards to the approaching robot.

"I'm not! I'm just trying to get her to tell the truth! After all, I'm a clever, charismatic, and _cute_ Supreme Leader! She said so!"

" _No!"_ I complain, half covering my red face to hide my rising irritation when I bite my lip and shoot Kokichi a warning glare to stop.

"She was like this close! _This close!"_ Kokichi exclaims as he waves a hand in front of his face, rounding the bed as Kiibo tries to catch him and ducking out of the way under the robot's arm. "I almost thought she was gonna kiss me!"

At that comment, embarrassment and rage fills my body at the call out.

"IT WAS A LIE, YOU ARROGANT FASCIST BASTARD!" I explode after him, dropping my hair and jumping up to my feet.

…

I slap both hands over my mouth in horror at the bad word Kokichi has managed to make me blurt out, turning away from Kokichi's absolutely amused look of victory and Kiibo's utterly stupefied expression to face the very clearly disappointed expression on Rantaro's features. If anything, somehow just that look that Rantaro gives me is enough to make me feel ten times worse than _any_ prank Kokichi could ever pull on me.

"I-I mean…! Yes, so, u-um…!" I pause and swallow nervously as I sit back down beside the green haired ultimate. "I might have p-played a little trick on Kokichi."

Rantaro's gaze intensifies from where he's seated beside me on the floor and I feel my nerves crumble entirely from the shame of my sins.

"And I m-may have kicked out his legs and made him fall because I got upset again, b-but-"

"No 'buts', Prairie, that's enough with the excuses. If Kokichi wants to behave like a child, let him," Rantaro cuts me off, making me squeak a little as I avert my gaze to the floor despite him not even raising his voice in the slightest. If anything, his casual no-nonsense tone is what really gets me. "We're going to have to work on this little attitude problem of yours later. _Before_ you really get yourself in trouble making the wrong person angry."

I bristle a little at that, further aggravated by Kokichi's laughter behind me. I'm just about to lash out at Rantaro and defend myself when the gremlin from hell decides to open his big mouth again.

 _Talk about the pot calling the kettle black,_ _ **I**_ _shouldn't have opened_ _ **my**_ _big mouth to Kokichi!_

"Careful! She might punch you in the face again like she did in a previous reset!"

I whip my head around to look at Kokichi, not in rage this time but betrayal. Why is he trying so hard to make my life so difficult? Not even the grin he casts me answers that question as I feel my cheeks go impossibly red and avoid Rantaro's gaze.

"Prairie-" he starts, before the door opens and all eyes land on Kirumi's figure as she gracefully glides in with what looks to be my things. My heart lurches at the sight of my white and multicolored monopad in her hands, but she immediately sets them on the bed when I crawl back up on it to make sure everything's in there. Of course, they are. My boots, my bow, my belt...my empty knife sheath...well at least my hand isn't throbbing as much as it had before during the first few hours.

"I should have known not to take so long, however Ryoma stopped me after I left Prairie's room to question my activities. Aside from that, Prairie is _not_ supposed to be moving around so much! I informed you all she is in a delicate state right now- even mild hypothermia is no joke. Rantaro, I was counting on you to make sure Kokichi and Kiibo caused no trouble," Kirumi actually scolds Rantaro as he climbs up on the bed to sit beside me with a guilty smile of embarrassment as he runs a hand through the back of his hair. She simply lets out a sigh of disappointment at that.

"Why is she bunching me in with Kokichi…?" I hear Kiibo mutter quietly, obviously bothered by it.

I almost laugh a little at Rantaro getting scolded himself, but then I remember Kokichi's remark and bite back the giggle guiltily. He just learned I punched him in the face, out of context at that. He's probably upset about that since he doesn't remember what happened...which means it's best I not make things any worse.

"U-Um...you didn't look at my monopad, right?" I ask instead, making Kirumi smile pleasantly my way when she sees me.

"I did not. That would be an invasion of your privacy," Kirumi calmly responds, not looking put off at all by my question. As I blow out a smile of relief, she then asks, "May I ask why I should not have?"

"Uh...T-There are some things like extra rules regarding what I'm not allowed to talk about or hint at. Basically, Monokuma would kill you if you read what's in it," I explain, pulling it in my lap as Kokichi hops on over to the bedside enthusiastically.

"That would matter if he were still alive, but he's dead! Lemme see, nothing's gonna-" Kokichi starts, reaching for the tablet until I turn away from him and hold it protectively against me with a dirty look his way. "Oh, come on, Prairie Dog!"

"We talked about this before. Do you wanna get tripped again?" I huff before hearing Rantaro clear his voice behind me much to my chagrin and shrinking back with a scowl. "F-Fine, I'm not gonna trip him...but he's still not allowed to see my monopad."

"I do agree on that point at least. Besides, if you're going by that logic, then don't forget the monokubs are still around- and _they're_ the ones with access to the Exisals," Rantaro covers for me much to my surprise.

"Hm. Fair enough!" Kokichi easily agrees, no doubt since he and I both know what _he_ said last night.

" _I_ _ **don't**_ _actually believe that. It's a_ _ **lie**_ _."_

Remembering that still gives me chills.

"Alright, I believe it's time for the three of us to leave then. Prairie needs privacy to get ready for the day and Kirumi's going to help her. We'll figure the other things out after we meet at the dining hall with the others," Rantaro says, getting off the bed and leading Kokichi and Kiibo out the door on Kirumi's behalf.

"We're about thirty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds away from the start of morning hours, what should we do in the meantime?" Kiibo queries the other two boys, prompting Kokichi to whistle as if impressed.

"How many milliseconds though?" Kokichi asks off the bat.

"I-I can't count it verbally, they go by too fast!"

"Aw. Even egg timers are better than you."

Kirumi shuts Rantaro's door on Kiibo's declarations of robophobia, leaving me to face Kirumi and smile. At that, she smiles back and takes my hand to lead me to the bathroom, which Rantaro was nice enough to lend me the use of despite the, uh, "punch" revelation. I'll have to apologize to Rantaro later and explain- he's right. I do have an attitude problem, even if I don't actually want to admit it.

A shower later, I jump out and dry myself enough to pull on my undergarments, Kirumi helping me fix and dry my hair before I dress in my old uniform. There's a new pair of socks in the bag that Monotaro gave me- exactly the same as the ones I had used before in the first resets to bind my arm slash after I'd cut it a second time. They're not the same ones though, as there's no sign of even the slightest faded bloodstain remaining.

Once I have my belt, my bow and my gloves on (having hidden my burnt palm from Kirumi the duration of her helping with my hair), Kirumi and I re-enter Rantaro's room with a bit of a slow walk that she sighs at in concern.

"You're weak right now, but you will start feeling better once you have something in your stomach. Come along, Prairie, the morning announcement should be playing very soon," Kirumi says as I adjust my slightly out of place belt and attach my monopad to the slot.

When we exit the room, Rantaro, Kokichi and Kiibo appear visibly surprised by my state of dress. From what I saw in Kokichi's room the other night, I guess everyone has a set of similar outfits that look exactly the same as what they're already wearing…well, not me. I got my ultimate outfit and my old uniform. That's it.

"What, were you feeling left out being the only girl without a skirt?" Kokichi inquires with a snicker, prompting me to shrug weakly in response. Now that I've been up and moving around to get ready, my exhaustion is starting to catch up to me enough that I can't even bring myself to snap back at him. Not to mention it doesn't help that my belly keeps rumbling with the need for food.

Rantaro reaches for my right hand (thankfully) and leads me towards the dormitory building's exit at a reasonable pace the other three easily match.

"Don't worry about answering any more questions, Prairie, just relax. Once you get water and food in your system, _then_ we can all talk," Rantaro comments with a smile, much to Kirumi's visible satisfaction and Kokichi's slight irritation- since Rantaro obviously directed it half towards him. "Just ignore any other questions the others ask you."

…

"Aren't there only sixteen seats in the dining hall?" I ask, remembering when I'd counted the seats with Tenko and Himiko.

"Yes, there are only sixteen! You have a great memory, Prairie!" Kiibo states cheerfully, obviously missing my point despite verbally confirming the count.

"...I make our number go back to seventeen," I clarify just as we reach the double doors into the dining hall and step into the vacant room. "With me here, someone else isn't going to have a seat."

"Let me worry about that, sit here for now," Rantaro reassures me as he leads me around to the back of the table and sits me down in the middle area. With me seated, Kiibo quickly takes my other side before Kokichi can- an obvious decision to keep Kokichi from being close enough to tease and heckle me any more than necessary.

Kokichi only looks amused as the Ultimate Robot leers up at him, prompting Kokichi to chuckle and stroll around where he can instead sit on Rantaro's free side.

The sound of the morning announcement goes off and I feel my nerves react when I realize everyone else will soon be joining us. I'm not ready to face them, but I guess I have no choice any more. I can't ghost everyone forever.

"I'll start preparing the food immediately," Kirumi gracefully speaks before turning and heading into the kitchen.

 _Honestly, any food at this point would be fine. I'd probably even be able to stomach cardboard flavored corn flakes right now._

Minutes later, the door to the dining hall opens sooner than I expect it to and I feel all the air in my lungs lock up nervously when I realize the time to face the music is now. Everyone thought I'd died due to Monosuke and his Exisal...and now they'll see the truth. How they'll take it, I can only wonder until they actually react.

I feel Rantaro squeeze my hand under the table, making me realize we hadn't yet let go. My cheeks go a little pink as I glance his way and receive an encouraging friendly smile. With that motivation, I look to the first person to walk into the room.

…

"Huh. Timid, assertive, _and_ hard to kill. That's reassuring. Welcome back, Prairie," Ryoma greets me with mild surprise, just as a few others follow him in- lifting their heads from their conversations at his words and allowing their wide eyes to land on me.

Kirumi momentarily returns with glasses of water and straws at the point when the people at the door suddenly run in to the table towards us, the ultimate maid dropping a peach in front of me so I can get started. I pop my straw in my glass and immediately get to sipping to ease my nerves.

When Miu walks in and screams at the sight of me, I nearly choke on my water. Rantaro pats my back a few times as I mentally try to process the noise. I'm not even sure if it's a scream or horror, glee, or... _pleasure?_

I don't know, but it only succeeds in making me scoot closer to Rantaro once it cuts off- followed by a cacophony of overlapping questions and shouts that Kiibo, Rantaro, and Kokichi all easily address in their own unique ways while I slump in my seat and pinch the bridge of my nose in thought.

Eventually I'll have to actually speak for myself.

I squeeze my eyes shut and sigh, only to feel a flash of a memory form in my mind.

 _Right, that was something I think I remember thinking about when Kokichi broke into my room, right…? Green grass cutting off into dead badlands and the smell of burning chemicals…what sort of a memory is that?_

I open my eyes again and reach for the fruit Kirumi set out for me, taking a bite and feeling my stomach rebel with a painful growl despite it getting exactly what it's asking for.

 _Maybe I can talk to Rantaro about it later. It must be significant in some way, and a second opinion could help. I just need to apologize to him first._

 _ **End of 2.3 - Recuperation**_


	16. 2:4 - Red is the Color of Sacrifice

_**2.4 - Red is the Color of Sacrifice**_

"Eat slowly, alright, Prairie? I can assure you the food isn't going anywhere. If you eat too quickly you might make yourself sick," Kirumi comments as she brings out the first bowls and sets them in front of those present, moving gracefully around the table.

"Oh, don't worry about her, Kirumi! This girl's a fighter! No hypothermia is gonna take her down, trust me! She's got spirit brighter than the sun- I should know!" Kaito laughs, ever the mirthful one. It's no surprise he's a morning person, what with how boisterous he is.

"You say that, but she's only here right now because Kokichi broke into her room. Her's, unlike ours, is completely made of cement and entirely empty with an approximate room temperature of forty-nine to fifty one degrees Fahrenheit, or nine to ten degrees Celsius. Had she been in there any longer, she really _would_ have passed away," Kiibo corrects Kaito, quietly watching the rest of us eat. Of course, as a robot, eating probably isn't necessary for Kiibo…

"Yeah, I totally saved Prairie Dog's life! If it wasn't for me-" Kokichi cuts himself off to shove food in his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff up. When he speaks again, it's after swallowing the huge portion of food down. "-she'd be a goner. Simple as that. Now she needs to spend the rest of her life devoting her services to me as repayment for my hard work!"

At that, I pause mid chew and shoot the violet goblin a dry look that I hope expresses everything pertaining to the fact that no, that's _not_ happening. I have half the mind to throw some of my food at him, but feeling Rantaro rub the back of my neck makes me flinch violently in surprise enough that I swallow down what's in my mouth whole and my fork goes flying somewhere behind me. With my yip, Rantaro yanks his hand back and gives me a look of concern after a quick glance back at wherever my fork has landed.

"What? Prairie, are you okay?" Rantaro is quick to ask as I reach up behind my neck in mild confusion, touching what feels like a sore and tender spot just at the base of my neck.

"Oh, that's right. When I was accused of somehow _harassing_ her by Kokichi last night, I noticed she was rather sore at the back of her neck," Kiibo speaks up, causing the other people in the room to pause their eating as Rantaro turns my head and proceeds to start gathering my hair.

"What is it? Did that bastard Monokuma do somethin' to Perfect Blitz before he was blown to pieces?!" Miu growls around a waffle, followed closely by the blue haired girl who's name I _still_ don't know commenting, "Don't tell me...it's Orochimaru's Cursed Seal Technique!"

 _Roachimaru…? What a strange name, sounds like a roach. Besides the name though, what is she even talking about?_

I feel Rantaro pull up my hair and gently prod at my skin before humming in thought. "I'm not exactly seeing anything… Prairie, I'm going to press around gently, okay? Just tell me where it feels sore."

With a nod on my part, I feel his fingers prod at my skin carefully, applying more and more pressure with each press until I jerk away as his fingers press into my skin just under my head where my hair starts.

"It could be pain from when the Exisal grabbed her in the gym before. It can't have been good for her neck for them to have carried her off like that," Ryoma points out, bringing another spoonful of simple oatmeal and milk to his lips. Does he really like that stuff? It looks mushy and gross…

"Probably…" Rantaro agrees, but something in his tone makes me think he may have other ideas about it. He eventually drops my hair and gives me a reassuring smile when I turn to look back at him. "Don't worry, he's probably right."

I cock my head to the side at his words, making sure he knows I notice that he doesn't quite believe that. Before he can say anything about my look like he appears to want to, I look back down at my food and quietly keep eating.

"You really seem to care for Prairie, huh, Rantaro? You're like a mother hen with her!" Kaito pipes up between a bite of his food, causing me to slightly redden and duck my head more so my hair veils most of my red faced blush.

Why would he just go and point it out so bluntly like that? Why do guys do that? Rantaro did the same thing in the first reset when I said I'm nervous around boys- Do guys just not have a filter on their words or something? And they always do it about the most embarrassing topics, so are they _trying_ to kill me?

"Ah, maybe so. I can't help myself, I guess. She reminds me of someone in my family and it sort of just happens, I guess," Rantaro openly admits with a charming at ease smile much to my quiet annoyance. I mean, sure, I already knew of course. He told me in our first meeting that I reminded him of his sister, but I never really lingered on it.

Now though...

 _I remind him of his sister. So if I wasn't like her and didn't remind him of her, would Rantaro still like me at all? Don't I have any individual value?_

As the traitorous thought settles in my mind, I shove another forkful of food in my mouth to hide my sudden rise in irritation. More people enter the dining hall with varying reactions as my thoughts warp in my head. Upon Himiko entering, she drops us all a lazy greeting before taking a seat across from me. I'd probably have been paying attention more if I wasn't biting on the prongs of my fork thoughtlessly, but I do hear her eventually notice me and ask about my not-so-dead state with a dry tone lacking any surprise whatsoever. She's honestly probably too lazy to be surprised.

When Angie walks in, she doesn't even bat an eye- rather claiming that Atua told her in advance within her dreams. She does, however, point out my fork biting when my mind goes back to Rantaro and his sister despite my efforts to try and push my thoughts away from them. This is the second time Rantaro has to intervene and make me stop chewing on my fork.

"SMALL PRAIRIE ALIVE!" Gonta shouts at the top of his lungs when he walks in, snapping me out of my spaced out zoning enough to allow me to quickly pull my fork from between my teeth before Rantaro can catch me biting on the prongs like an animal again.

As soon as I register the teary eyed giant, I also see Tenko race inside of the dining hall practically shrieking in delight before she runs around the table to my side to give me a hug in my seat.

"Prairie, you're _alive!_ Thank goodness, you have no idea how sad I've been thinking you were gone!" She mopes, before pulling a smile to her face and releasing me from her iron cast hug. "This fills me with even more fighting spirit than your passing did! I could probably take down two Exisals with my bear hands at this point! HIII-YAH!"

"Interesting. Well, I guess things truly are not how they appear, are they? Welcome back, Prairie, Khehehe…"

At the entrance beside the still joyful and tear streaked Gonta is now Korekiyo, tipping his head just slightly in my direction but looking towards Rantaro with twinkling eyes of amusement. When I follow the Ultimate Anthropologist's gaze, I can't help but frown in confusion curiously when I see Rantaro casually smiling back at him...albeit it in a less than friendly way by the looks of it. What happened between those two?

With my thoughts now convoluted regarding Rantaro and Korekiyo, I almost don't notice Maki slip inside the dining hall, walking just a few paces behind Gonta who has finally gotten a hold of himself to sit down beside Kokichi with a big smile as a result of my return.

Maki frowns a little when she sees me, but other than that, she doesn't give much else when it comes to a reaction and she doesn't ask any questions. As a result, no one bothers her since she decides to keep to herself.

 _...He's nice to me because I remind him of his sister. Augh, stop thinking about it, it's not his fault he sees her in me! Besides, there's no way she's exactly the same as me, she's probably more outgoing in general and has less issues talking with boys and whatnot._

If anything, my thoughts only make my irritation rise- and Tantaro has to stop me chewing on my fork a third time when he notices. Other than a mild warning glance, he doesn't say anything to me about me ruining my teeth this time. I almost stick my tongue out at him, but manage to stop myself after a second thought.

" _We're going to have to work on this little attitude problem of yours later."_

I don't have _that_ bad of an attitude problem! I had every reason to be upset with Kokichi, I wasn't blowing things out of proportions. Kokichi shouldn't have opened his stupid mouth in the first place!

"...! Prairie?!"

I look up in time to see Shuichi walk in with Kaede, the blonde being the one to squawk in disbelief before sharing a look with Shuichi that is so subtle that I nearly miss it. It almost looks...knowing and suspicious. Could the Ultimate Detective and Ultimate Pianist have deduced that I'd not actually been dead? It would explain the knowing look, but then what are they suspicious about?

 _There's something they know that the rest of us don't, isn't there? That's the only reason I can guess why those two look so secretive with one another. Why would they keep it from the rest of the group though? Shouldn't we all be figuring things out together? ...Then again, Monokuma might totally ruin any attempts at camaraderie among us._

With that, I push away my nearly empty bowl and brush some of my hair back behind my ear with finality.

"Hm?" Kiibo hums in confusion from beside me when he notices my leftovers in the bowl. "Not hungry anymore, Prairie?"

"Yeah, I'm tired now is all," I respond simply, closing my eyes and rubbing the bridge of my nose as I take a moment to use this subtle action to use my weird intuition. Why are Kaede and Shuichi so nervous about?

 _Come on, give me some answers…_

…

…

… _?_

 _..._ nothing.

 _Nothing? What? That's never happened before, why am I drawing a blank this time? Is something different about my attempt this time than when I tried before?_

"I-If anyone wants to ask me anything, now's your chance before I leave and find somewhere to nap," I speak up, causing Shuichi and Kaede to perk up from where they're standing at the doorway. The Ultimate Detective almost looks like he has a question, but before he can open his mouth, Kokichi butts in.

"Hey, what were you going to say in the gym before that Exisal knocked you out?" The violet vermin inquires, eagerly sitting up and waving his hand in the air like a student in class. I narrow my eyes and immediately wave his query away with a scowl.

"I'm not answering that and you know it, Kokichi," I huff his way from Rantaro's other side, prompting Kokichi to puff his cheeks up in mock offense with mirth twinkling behind his scowling eyes.

"Hmph! What happened to the Prairie Dog that was willing to die for us? I miss her!" He complains, despite the dry look most of the people around the table give him.

"I don't miss her…" Himiko remarks, holding her hat over one eye as she narrows an icy gaze on Kokichi for his tasteless joking.

"G-Gonta prefer Small Prairie _live_ for us than…" Gonta can't even finish the sentence, while Tenko taps a foot impatiently from where she's still standing behind my seat. Looking up at her, she's got this very dangerous stare nailed on Kokichi, but he only laughs a little at the varying looks he gets from the others.

"U-Um, Prairie?" I let my gaze drift over to Shuichi and Kaede, noting the Ultimate Detective shuffling his feet slightly as our eyes meet. For someone that looks as shy as I normally am, he manages to hold my gaze without a hitch. He swallows a little, but manages to speak up. "I was...wondering if you could tell us when exactly you came back after the monokubs released you. Was it this morning, or…?"

He's so polite as he asks this, and I can feel the tension in my muscles ease a little as a result of his disarming demeanor. This is the Ultimate Detective? He's almost _too_ approachable. Well, at least I can answer his question without having to dodge it like _most_ of the listings in the "ugly rules".

"I woke up outside in the courtyard around the night time hours of the first night. Everyone was already asleep according to the Monokubs," I state, watching Shuichi closely as I answer his queries. There's a small sliver of concern that I see flash across his eyes when I say this, making me cock my head to the side in mild confusion.

 _That's a strange look I'm getting._

My eyes drag to some of the other ultimates, only to feel my stomach twist when a few seem to avert their gaze as I look at them, namely Kaede and Tsumugi. Maki, Ryoma, and Kokichi on the other hand give me varying types of piercing gazes that don't help settle my anxious stomach in the least bit.

"What?" I ask, glancing at Rantaro, Kiibo, and Tenko in confusion for some sort of answer. Rantaro frowns, but it's at the people eyeing me suspiciously rather than at me. Kiibo just shrugs in confusion when I look at him, Tenko looking around equally lost as we try to figure out why there is a sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Everyone suddenly got quiet," Himiko thoughtfully breaks the silence after a moment, biting lazily into an apple and chewing slowly.

Despite the break in the silence, the tension does not let up.

"So you were around the whole day yesterday and you just...forgot to say something about it?" Maki asks straightforward in her usual to-the-point tone, eyes drilling into mine so directly that it sort of makes me shrink back in my seat a little.

"N-No, I-" I stammer, ready to defend myself before Korekiyo cackles from where he is and cuts me off.

"Perhaps our little celebrity was preparing the perfect murder- a desperate attempt to dig her way out of this mess and leave the rest of our corpses to lay rotting here," the Ultimate Anthropologist morbidly alludes, prompting me to fall silent as a result.

 _What am I even supposed to say to that? No matter what my defense is, I'm in a position where nobody can believe me...and due to the nature of this killing game, they're even more likely to see me as a liar. There's no way I can clear myself of suspicion in a place like this!_

…

"No answer? Shall I take that as a 'yes', in that case?" Korekiyo asks rhetorically after a beat of silence.

Miu suddenly throws down her fork aggressively, making it clatter noisily against her bowl of food. "The HELL? You've got some _nerve_ saying that about Perfect Blitz, you walking shit stain!"

"Yeah, man! Don't act like she didn't put herself in danger just to give all of _us_ a hint on the first day! The whole _reason_ she's been away is because of us- if you're twisting that around just to get a rise out of everyone, it's not cool," Kaito suddenly bursts out, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table as well.

"Calm down, you two, I'm not actually accusing her. I'm merely speculating based on the circumstances. It'd be a shame if the killing game were to begin at this point, wouldn't it? Well, not that I don't welcome it. The idea of seeing humanity's primal side and studying the internal battle between survival and society's moral compass intrigues me...especially coming from the world's most inspirational and prestigious celebutante at the top of the 'food chain', so to speak," Korekiyo defends his point, though it's obvious he hardly cares whether anyone agrees with him or not.

 _I really didn't know he was like this. I thought he was_ _ **nice**_ _before. Like Kaito, Korekiyo is totally different from how he was before the last reset. What does this mean? Is it a pattern? Could this be what made the round flashlight so different from the dark square flashlight?_

"Is that all?" I ask, now even more eager to leave and get away from everyone.

"Um...y-yeah…" Shuichi mumbles, trailing off nervously under my gaze when I turn his way. Presumably, my impatience has made its way to my expression by the look of his reaction.

"Well actually, I'd for one like to know why you're only showing up today. Where were you yesterday?" Ryoma cuts in now that Shuichi backed off from asking me any more questions.

"In my room," I say, which is true to an extent. I wasn't in there the whole day but I _was_ in my room. "After I woke up I wasn't tired enough to sleep, so I spent the whole night at the game room playing PAC-MAN. By the time I was tired, it was daytime, so I went back to my room to try and sleep. Kokichi knew I was around though- he saw my score on the Namco machine and decided to wait with his stupid door open until I woke up again last night so he could corner me."

Now everyone's eyes move to Kokichi in obvious annoyance.

"What? Wait, when did _you_ figure it out?" Kaede asks boldly, raising a brow in disbelief at my revelation. Kokichi flashes an amused grin, arms resting behind his neck as he tips his chair back precariously.

"Nee-hee-hee! When I found her score on the machine yesterday morning after Monokuma's unfortunate accident, I was sooo excited that telling someone else must have completely slipped my mind! Whoopsie- _daisy!_ Oopsie-poopsies~!" Kokichi cheerfully admits without hesitation, much to my own surprise.

It's a wonder he didn't lock pick his way earlier if he figured it out _that_ early in the day yesterday, so I guess there must be some sliver of respect for others in his soul if he decided not to invade my privacy prior to my suspicious behavior after seeing his room.

 _No way that's true. Or maybe he didn't want to scare me like that? ...Nah. Why am I thinking of scenarios where he's making thoughtful logical choices based on kindness? He probably didn't break in because he didn't want to and figured it was simpler to just wait for me to leave my room on my own._

"What the-?! Why didn't you say anything, you rotten degenerate male!? Some of us were over here suffering and you were just waltzing around with the knowledge this whole time!" Tenko snaps from behind my chair, hands fisting up before taking a few threatening steps his way that makes Kokichi jump out of his char and back up with a casual laugh of amusement- as if excited to get chased around again.

"Why? Well, look at you guys right now. Some of you are all so busy being angry and tearing her apart due to the killing game that nobody's even noticed she's already leaving!" Kokichi chirps with intentional casualness and a slow drawl so that I'm already near the doorway across from Kaede and Shuichi by the time people even notice me having abandoned my seat at the table.

"W-Wait-" Kaede tries to speak up, but she's immediately cut off.

"Nyahaha~! But isn't this unnecessary? Some of you continue to harass her even though the killing game is over! Atua got rid of Monokuma, there is no need for suspicion!" Angie cheerfully stands up to remind everyone as I stop just at the doorway to look back at her in mild surprise. She's defending me again? "Blasphemer or not, I do not believe Perfect Blitz would have been up to anything nefarious."

Her eyes jump between Korekiyo, Ryoma, and Shuichi- her expression darkening with her persisting smile. Shuichi appears to only be the one affected by her look, prompting him to avert his gaze quickly when I glance his way.

"Unless you _also_ believe Monokuma indeed has a spare, no?" She presses, blue eyes studying the three boys before looking towards some of the other less-than-confident ultimates.

"Angie's right, there's no reason to be ganging up on her! You all did the same to Kaede yesterday too- we can't just be ripping each other to pieces like that on simple whims!" Kaito also jumps in, visibly agitated on my behalf.

"That's the fuckin' tea right there! Perfect Blitz isn't gonna double cross us, you guys are just pissy-poor babies scared of a few nicks! HAH! What noobs! I won't let any of you make me doubt her!" Miu barks from her seat half victoriously, blue eyes blazing as she narrows her eyes at everyone else.

"Jeez, Miu, why don't you _marry_ Prairie Dog if you like her so much? I'll bet you'd make the perfect divorcee afterwards," Kokichi snickers with an eye roll, taking a peek at his nails and examining them casually. He really loves doing that, doesn't he? I'll bet he's only doing it to make himself look like more of a prick...

Miu bares her teeth Kokichi's way, and it's not a smile whatsoever. "What was that, you little abortion?!"

"I said _silence your flat plastic-baked ass, thot pocket!"_ Kokichi suddenly raises his voice with a sharp glare, which immediately turns into a bright grin and a laugh of delight when Miu flinches violently and shrinks back in surprise with a small " _hyiiieeee!"_ of terror. "Nishishi~! You're like the opposite of Prairie Dog! She goes from anxious to _rawr_ on her end!"

"Um…" The girl with no name comments, though she never continues her sentence as she eyes Kokichi and Miu in obvious concern.

"I concur with Angie's notion. There's nothing to be suspicious of Prairie for," Kirumi adds her input as she returns, clearly having overheard the conversation despite her work in the kitchen. She sets out more dishes for some of the other ultimates that have arrived and then walks back to the kitchen. My eyes meet hers and she offers me a small encouraging smile before she disappears around the corner.

"That's right! Prairie has given us no reason to mistrust her in my eyes! She's our friend!" Tenko adds, turning to look away from Kokichi and towards everyone else. "There's no point in murdering for a killing game that's over before it started!"

"Hel-loooo, everybody~!"

... _Always aiming to make an entrance, these ridiculous bears._

Unsurprisingly, those that _actually_ believed he was gone for good go into a frenzied panic at the sight of Monokuma's unexpected reappearance within the dining room- somehow avoiding having been seen before he announced his presence at all. He's wearing a strange get-up however, one that makes him look like a cat…not to mention there's cheap sticks with crudely drawn fire balls made to "float" around him, all taped to the back of a tan-yellow band around his midsection.

"You came back to life?! What are you?!" Kaito quite practically squawks in horror, turning a shade of blue at the obvious implications of his return.

"Are your eyes just for show? I'm Monokuma!" The bear cheerfully supplies before sulking where he stands and adding, "'What are you'...such a disrespectful question! You didn't say that to Miss Marble when she came back from the dead."

"T-That's because she wasn't actually dead in the first place- _you_ were!" Kaito snaps, even more miffed now than he was before. Monokuma evidently ignores the Ultimate Astronaut's excuses, waving him away with his white paw while he uses the other to readjust the band around his belly.

"Anyways, after going off like that in the…' _accident'..._ " Monokuma stresses the last word, making me slightly stiffen up from where I am by the doorway. "I became the spirit Jibankuma!"

"Really?" Kiibo asks from where he is on the opposite side of the table from the main dining hall exit, seated next to my empty seat and Rantaro's empty-

 _Eh?! Wait-!_

I only think that at the moment a hand catches mine, turning to see Rantaro standing next to me with a mild sigh of relief as he settles next to me. Remembering the tidbit about his sister though, I try and fail to detach his iron grip from around my hand, subsequently giving up and throwing him a scowl he simply smiles apologetically at. He obviously has no idea why I'm upset with him- he probably just thinks I'm annoyed he's being too much of a "helicopter mom".

 _Him and his stupid reasonable smiles...they're bugging me again._

"From now on, I will be your headmaster! It might feel a bit awkward at first, but get used to it!" Monokuma explains brightly, followed by a dead strained silence that actually impresses me somewhat. As the silence persists, Monokuma looks around at all of us quietly. Sure, the others are absorbing this new dose of absurdity, but my mind backtracks to how he'd described his accident. Specifically the implication it _wasn't_ an accident.

 _How? How could Monokuma know it wasn't an accident if he was out of commission by the time anyone could have figured it out? Did the monokubs solve the mystery and then tell him? Do they know it was_ _ **me**_ _then? There's no way they couldn't figure that out- my knife was stuck inside Exisal._

I'm a little jittery but I feel Rantaro rub his thumb along the knuckles of my hand to comfort me and ease my stress. Despite being mildly upset still (over something I _know_ is stupid), I inch closer to his side nevertheless.

"Huh? Did I say something weird? Everyone's so quiet!" Monokuma remarks, as if shocked by the reaction.

"Isn't it obvious, you fuckin' imitation?! Don't turn into roadkill and then come back!" Miu snaps, flashing a thumbs down at Monokuma now that Kokichi is no longer terrorizing her.

"It's...not even fit for cosplay. I can't watch," the blue haired girl mumbles with a quivering voice and a cringe much to my confusion. Cosplay? Why is she bringing that up? ...Is she the Ultimate Nerd? Or maybe the Ultimate...Otaku? Cosplayer? Hmm…

"Let me ask; have you maybe mixed the meanings behind 'yūeri' and 'yōkai'?" Korekiyo, who I'm rather miffed at, starts to speak- ever the chatty one in regards to his obsession for history.

 _Oh, he can put a cork in it. If it wasn't for him making the stupid accusation that I was trying to plot a murder, no one would've been arguing! He didn't even give me the chance to explain, he just made everything worse!_

"Prairie, take a few deep breaths. I know you're upset, but please relax. I don't want you getting hurt by Monokuma," Rantaro whispers in my ear, prompting me to bristle a little. A part of my bitter frustration is a result of Rantaro himself, so I simply look up at him indignantly and tear my gaze away once I've thrown him that wordless message.

"Aw, this is why I hate high school students. Elementary school students make better audiences without destroying the joke!" Monokuma huffs, flexing his claws irritably and shredding the cheap costume off after Korekiyo's babbling.

" _RISE AND SHINE, URSINE~!"_

Just the sound of their voices makes me suddenly tense up again, feeling my fire of annoyance at everything else sizzle out like the ember of a candle snuffed out under a metal cap. Well, here it comes. They're definitely going to kill me for real this time.

"How noisy...you've been noisy this whole time…" Monotaro is the first to drop into the dining hall, turning around and evidently facing the much larger dual toned bear behind him. There's another pause of silence and then- "HUH?! Our dad that's supposed to be dead is back?!"

There's a howl and suddenly Monokid appears, shredding an already half torn cardboard guitar and nearly running into Monotaro. "It's just like an eighty year old manga that's still printing! You can't kill of such an iconic mascot like Monokuma just like _that!"_

"This must be the work of a yōkai!" Monophanie chirps in surprise as she pops in with Monodam and Monosuke at her sides, fixing the flower over her ear with a cute flirty wink my way that I don't dare backsass since I'm much too nervous to set them off on me.

"...Well, the joke's already over. You're too late," Monokuma states plainly, prompting me to cling to a sliver of hope that maybe they _don't_ know it was me. Just as I'm about to sigh in quiet relief though-

"Hold on, everybody!" Monosuke interrupts unceremoniously, causing everyone to look his way when he tosses something in the middle of the dining hall floor that makes enough of a metallic clatter that I tense up all over again. This time, Rantaro must have an idea as to why I'm so anxious, because I hear him whisper by my ear ever so softly.

"Prairie, _what did you do?"_

I swallow a little but can't bring myself to answer him, staring down at the knife before my gaze lands on Monokuma and the monokubs again. None of them are looking at me yet but I'm pretty sure they know who, out of all of us, owns a survival knife like that.

"W-What, is this your guys' sorry attempt to convince us to kill each other? We're not doing it, our stance hasn't changed on that matter!" Kaito barks, only prompting the dual toned yellow bear to scoff.

"No, we won't provide you lot with any weapons," Monosuke resumes, even though he and I can both recall who gave me that stupid survival knife in the first place. " _This_ was found jammed in my Exisal when I tried to get rid of you. It's what made my Exisal stall and land on Monokuma. I'll explain it nice and simple for the dumber of you lot...only one of you wasn't around at the time when I entered the dining hall, which means only _one_ of you could have possibly gotten behind my Exisal to make me miss my intended target. Now, I wonder...I _truly_ wonder who that could have been. Don't you wonder too, Ugly?"

 _I was starting to get used to not hearing them call me that on an hourly basis._

Everyone's eyes land on me just as I swallow nervously a second time when I realize I have no way out of this.

 _But they're basing it on the presence of the knife and the fact I wasn't in the dining hall specifically. Why though? On Monokuma's end, he always seems to know what's going on everywhere, so maybe he sees things by camera? I haven't seen any cameras around though...but if that's the case, why isn't Monokuma the one throwing these accusations on me?_

…

 _Whatever. This might as well happen- there's no reason to drag it on any longer. I've been caught._

I open my mouth and-

"It wasn't her! Because she still has her knife on her! It's the one Monosuke gave her. So how could she have been the one to attack the Exisal?" Monotaro cuts me off before I have a chance to say anything, bounding over to mine and Rantaro's side to grab my leg and shove my skirt up it. I panic with a squeak at first- until I see the knife strapped around my thigh that's identical to the one on the floor. Thankfully, Monotaro is considerate enough not to hitch my skirt any higher, but…

"Hey, nice strawberry birthmark, Prairie Dog~!"

At that, I grab my skirt and cover my thighs properly in horror. Maybe no one saw my undies, but there's something inherently horrifying about Kokichi pointing out a birthmark that should otherwise be private from the public eye. Besides, I only first saw it when I was taking a shower- I didn't even know it was there due to my amnesia!

"See? See?" Monotaro chirps, looking back at the other bears. All the while, I'm still very much confused. How'd that knife get strapped to my leg? Monosuke only gave me _one_ knife, and I used it already. I didn't strap anything to my thigh either!

Glancing towards Kirumi from where she's standing just outside the kitchen doorway, I can see the slightly confused look on her face as she stares my way- equally puzzled since she was there helping me while I was dressing earlier as well. Where did this knife come from?!

As I look down at Monotaro, I can't help but wonder a little. He gave me a blanket against the wishes of the other monokubs too, but Monophanie didn't show up until a few hours later. Does that mean it's only Monokuma that gets information relatively quickly and not the monokubs? And that Monokuma and the monokubs don't necessarily share all their information with one another?

 _And if Monotaro was the one who put that knife on my leg without my notice, then is he maybe rebelling…? I don't know why he'd help me, I figured all the monokubs pretty much hated me equally- with Monodam being the one up for debate._

"Oh! ...Wait, what?!" Monophanie squeaks, paws on either side of her shocked face as she gapes at the fact of the matter. "B-But I was sure it was…? Who else could it be?"

"M-Maybe another BASTARD is among us?! An eighteenth killer out to get us?!" Monokid half panics, hugging his broken cardboard guitar against his chest.

"...Well then. I guess I could have been mistaken. However, this knife should not be accessible yet- to these guys, to ugly, or even an _eighteenth_ person. So...which one of you bastards managed to steal it in that case?!" Monosuke demands, stamping a foot that makes his glasses tilt and go askew as a result.

My eyes drag over towards Monokuma curiously despite every nerve in my body telling me to avoid his gaze. He's not saying or doing anything- rather he's staring intently at Monotaro. Something about it immediately sets off my alarm bells when I observe Monotaro fidget slightly under his gaze as if he too realizes Monokuma is acting strange.

"One of you better fess up already or I'll-!" Monosuke starts, before Monokuma lifts a paw and cuts him off with, "No, no. That's not necessary, my cute little cub~! I already know who stole it. I've known since the crime occured! In fact, I _watched_ it happen!"

"Y-You did…?" Monotaro asks, suddenly looking very small under Monokuma's overpowering and persisting stare.

"Wow! Daddy's _amazing!_ He has eyes everywhere without any technological assistance!" Monophanie gasps in awe, calming down now that there's obviously no more mystery about the second survival knife.

"So who was it then…?" Monosuke presses, all the monokubs save for Monodam and Monotaro huddling around Monokuma like it's story time. "Tell us who to crush into mushy cranberries!"

"Hehe, _I_ won't be revealing it! Miss Marble knows who it was too, you know… It's quite obvious, after all. Also, there's no reason for her to give any other name than the right one, because I know who did it. So…" Monokuma and the three other kubs look my way where I stand with Rantaro and Monotaro, the red glow of Monokuma's left eye sending a chill down my spine as I meet his gaze. "Tell me who I'll be punishing."

 _Not "tell me who did it", but "tell me who I'll be punishing". What is he implying with that? Is this is some sort of game to him? To see if I'll throw Monotaro, one of his lackeys, under the bus to save my own skin?_

 _..._

It's not even a trap or a trick. Monokuma just wants to play with my emotions because he knows I'll say…

"Me," I hear myself say after a moment of thought, not even realizing I've spoken until I see everyone's reactions around me.

"P-Prairie? But why would you...and how-?" Kiibo stands up as he asks, to which I suddenly blurt out, "I didn't stay in my room all day yesterday for no _reason!_ I was going to come in yesterday morning, but the Exisal…! I couldn't just let them kill Kaito!"

"Then you-" I hear Kaede start, before I hear the sound of _"tsk"_ ing from Monokuma interrupt her.

My eyes glaze over everyone else's expressions to look towards Monotaro- who is now facing Rantaro and I in visible panic and confusion at the fact I've just lied to take the fall.

At least I know something new though. Something that might help the others in the long run if I don't die right now and then another thing that is rather upsetting for all five of the monokubs.

 _I know the monokubs can be swayed now. Their AI's are not as stuck on the deranged and twisted mindset Monokuma appears to wholesomely have, but this also proves that the monokubs are at the mercy of Danganronpa and Monokuma as much as we are._

 _...Unless that's what they want me to think? How am I supposed to figure out whether Monotaro is truthful in his intentions? What if I'm just lying to myself in desperation for some light at the end of a dark tunnel?_

 _Where do I begin to search for the truth?_

 _ **End of 2.4 - Red is the Color of Sacrifice**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _To the guest of the last chapter- I'm glad you like it! I love writing the scenes with Kokichi too, he's a great character to play around with, lol! And thank you so much, I'm glad they're all reasonably in character, it is really hard to keep track of some of them xD I hope you enjoyed this chapter too~!_


	17. 2:5 - Disarming Interrogation

_**2.5 - Disarming Interrogation**_

"Prairie Marble...here we are again. You just love to get yourself into trouble, don't you? You continue to oppose me, you ruin our things, and despite all the opportunities and chances we give you- you have still _refused_ to correct your behavior," Monokuma speaks calmly, prompting an unnerving silence to fall among the rest of us in the room. "And to think it's only our third day! Who knows what you're capable of after a few weeks, or even months for that matter!"

No one says anything for a moment, but I'm sure everyone else registers his words with equal alarm at the implications.

"'Months'? What do you mean _'months'?!"_ Kaede demands, turning a blue-purple shade before shaking her head in disbelief. "We can't stay here months, w-what about food and water?! We'll run out of it eventually, there are seventeen of us here!"

"I _know!_ I guess that means you better start thinning out your numbers with a few clever murders, am I right?" Monokuma laughs, flashing us a sharp and malicious toothy grin.

 _This guy will say anything to convince us to kill each other, won't he?_

"Back to the topic at hand though!" Monokuma suddenly spouts angrily, setting his gaze back to where I'm standing with Rantaro. "Your actions have violated a very important rule, Miss Marble! Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly forbidden! Which means-!"

 _"_ _ERRRRH_ _! Wr-_ _rrong_ _!"_ Kokichi blurts out suddenly, rolling his 'r's playfully as he grins Monokuma's way. The dual toned monochrome bear turns to face the Ultimate Supreme Leader curiously. To be honest, I'm actually a little surprised to see the bear is willing to listen, especially since he can basically completely plow over anyone's opinion with his authority.

"Hm? Wrong about what? She destroyed my last body and stole a weapon she was not allowed access to yet. That's two reasons for me to punish her right here and right now!" Monokuma points out, prompting Kokichi to wag a finger.

"She didn't break any rules though. She was just up to mischief! When I look in Ye Old Monopad," Kokichi pauses to stand up and casually pull his own monopad out from the waistband of his pants, flicking around the screen with a casual hum before shrugging with exaggerated confidence in his findings. "Nope! I don't see anything in here about stealing. In fact, it says everything's pretty much on the table! As for your destruction...well, that's your own fault. You shouldn't have been in the Exisal's path anyways! Prairie Dog attacked your yellow-bellied son, and there's no rule against attacking the _monokubs_ _,_ now is there?"

 _...Well, he's technically right in all that sense and logic, but somehow I doubt that matters._ _Monokuma_ _makes the rules here, so-_

"Hey, wha'd you call me?!" Monosuke notices after a second, looking from Kokichi to Monokuma and back. "Furthermore, why _don't_ we have a rule forbidding violence against us if-"

"I guess there _isn't_ any rules about that! Well then..." Monokuma turns to look my way, anger from earlier completely doused as he smiles and pats his belly almost as if completely at ease. "Looks like you're off the hook for now, Miss Marble!"

 _Huh? Just like that? But-_

"Oh, that reminds me!" Monokuma continues, clapping his paws together eagerly. "Have any of you started planning a murder yet?"

"T-The killing game will continue then...?" That blue haired girl with glasses inquires, prompting the conversation to segue away from me and back to the killing game's resurrection as a result of Monokuma's unwanted but more or less unsurprising return.

... _There's no way he's letting me get away with all this. It may not be in the rules, but_ _Monokuma_ _can make any rule he wants! Why would he just drop it like that? I don't understand. Maybe he'll punish me later when no one's watching? ...but then again, why would it matter whether the others see my punishment or not? Is he really_ not _going to punish me after_ _Kokichi_ _pointed out the logistics?_

"Absolutely! And for your collective consideration..." Monokuma turns and jumps on the table, causing dishes and cutlery to shake with clatters as he gives us all a deadly glare with the mechanical red glow of his left eye. "Since none of you want to step up to the plate and start off the killing game, it's time for an _extra motive!"_

"Eh?!" Tenko cringes, sweat dripping down her face as she steps back from the table with the other students once seated down. Unsurprisingly, no one wants to be close to Monokuma. "There can be _two?"_

"There can be as many as we want! We make the rules here, REMEMBER YA BASTARDS!" Monokid howls, throwing an arm around Monodam when the green bears nervously goes to approach Monotaro. At the contact, Monodam goes unnaturally rigid and sweats as if anticipating the worst.

 _If you make the rules here, then why are you bears letting me get away with this? I don't get it, is this some kind of joke?_

"If a killing doesn't happen within two days and two nights from now...all students forcibly participating in the killing game will _cease to live!_ I will gather large quantities of Monokumas, multiply, and this school shall become a bear wilderness! If you don't want to be mixing up body parts with one another, get to killing!" Monokuma orders with uncanny deadliness, so much so that my stomach begins to ache at the thought of it.

"A time limit?!" Gonta gapes, red eyes wide as he looks at Manokuma's place on the table. The heartless bear is snickering along with Monokid, Monosuke, and Monophanie. Unlike those four- and what with the silence being normal in Monodam's case- Monotaro stays strangely silent.

"So...everyone will die?" Ryoma questions, one of the more composed individuals of our lot. Peeking up at my side, Rantaro appears to be keeping himself together just as well by the looks of it.

"You can't do that! It's not fair!" Tenko objects. "We just got Prairie back after thinking she was dead and you want us to go and _kill_ someone else?! _No!_ That's disgusting!"

"Well, you all don't want to participate in this killing game, what else do you expect? This is the Killing School Semester, not _Boy Meets World!_ I expect you to be killing one another no matter how many bodies you've already piled up!" Monokuma declares, crossing his arms over his belly with a haughty look.

"How long do you want us to suffer? How far are you willing to go?!" Kiibo blurts out, cyan eyes glowing to almost a similar degree as Monokuma's.

"Suffer..." Monokuma tests the word out, though his tone makes my skin crawl as I register a lilt in his voice as if the word were some kind of delicious delicacy. "Well, if you kill each other, you won't need to suffer anymore, will you? Puhuhuhuhu~!"

Kaito narrows his eyes from where he is. "You bastard...!"

 _Well that makes things ten times more difficult..._ _Kaede_ _wanted us all to rally together in the beginning, but working together- aka,_ _not_ _killing one another is no longer in our favor if we all die for refusing to kill._

"Oh, the 'First Blood Perk' is still available by the way! Act now to win!" Monosuke chirps much to my confusion. My brow furrows and I tilt my head with a puzzled stare. Noticing my reaction, Monosuke straightens up in excitement. "Ah, that's right! Ugly has no idea what we're talking about since she was dead during that time!"

 _These guys are just milking every last joke..._

"Well, to get everyone fired up for the killing game, we have an offer- or a _motive-_ up where the first person that kills gets to leave the school and graduate into the outside world scot-free! No class trial! No need to plan a murder mystery! All they need to do is slice open someone's throat to start the game up!" Monosuke supplies with an upbeat laugh. "So, whadda ya say, Ugly? You want to do the honors? You'll get to leave this place if you do!"

"HA! Considering all you've done to PISS US THE HELL OFF, we won't let your stay here be easy! You should take this opportunity while you have the chance," Monokid comments after his brother, leering with a grin.

"Trust us, Ugly! _You'll regret not doing it later~,"_ Monophanie adds, giggling at the end and twirling in delight.

All eyes fly to me, but I doubt I need to say anything my expression doesn't already obviously convey.

"She makes the ugliest faces...that's the _true_ horror of the killing game!" The pink bear turns to look at the other ultimates with a pitying sigh. "What a shame you're all stuck with her."

"Shut up already! Get the fuck out!" Miu snarls both in annoyance and anger that even makes Kaede and Shuichi jump a little in surprise.

"Whatever you chose to do...is up to you! Do whatever you want! Whether it's to die with your 'friends' or to be the sole survivor...the choice is yours! _Puhuhuhu_ _!"_ Monokuma mirthfully laughs, prompting me to scowl when he turns to look at me unexpectedly. "Actually...this gives me some good ideas on what to do with you later, Miss Marble. Try not to die just yet, okay? At least wait a few trials when we thin out those numbers."

 _I hate the way he talks about everyone else like they're just toys._

I don't even realize what I'm doing up until I hear the objections of other students breaking through the haze of my rage. I step back into my senses right as I launch my sneaker at Monokuma with a surprisingly impressive force. The dual toned bear dodges, but rather than including that as "violence towards Headmaster Monokuma", he just laughs some more and gives me a wave.

"Until next time, Miss Marble!" Monokuma laughs as I wrangle my arm from Rantaro's grip and turn to leave, speed walking to stretch the distance between myself and everyone in the dining hall. Before I know it, I rip off my other shoe and throw it over my shoulder carelessly, picking up speed in my socks as I run around a corner and make my way towards the stairwell as fast as I can manage. My footsteps are thankfully quiet as I race my way up, making sure to keep close to the wall of the stairs so no one will see me if they look up. As I reach the top of the stairs, I bolt for the first room I see- just in case someone _is_ on my tail.

 _I just need to be_ _alone_ _for a minute. I need to think._

I open the door and close it quietly behind me as I enter, turning towards one of several similar classrooms to find a hiding spot and spotting some lockers near the back. I'm just about to run for them when I remember something Kokichi mentioned the other day.

 _"Hey, you know you suck at hide and seek, right?"_

I look back at the door and up at the corner just above the doorway as a thought enters my mind.

... _I can climb that._

With careful movements and maneuvers, I use the edges of the door frame to get my legs up as I press my hands against the wall adjacent to it with force. Just as I get myself propped up against the ceiling, I tuck the dangling part of my skirt between my legs and gather my long hair up on my back right when the door suddenly opens beneath me.

Thank goodness I thought to climb up before they got here!

I honestly expect to see Rantaro waltz in, but instead...

"Hm..." Kaede hums as she looks around the room, Shuichi at her side as quiet as usual. "I guess she's not in here, huh? It's incredible how fast she runs. I guess it's all the muscle from rock climbing."

"Uh, y-yeah. Rantaro, Kokichi, and Kiibo said she has a knack of hiding though. Do you mind going on ahead without me and checking the other rooms with everyone else? I'll check this room out some more just to be sure we're thorough. I'll call you if I find her," Shuichi suggests much to my frustration, making Kaede look back at him with a confident nod of understanding.

"Alright then. See you in a bit!" Kaede answers, giving him a small wave and a soft smile as she turns to leave the room.

...

Shuichi stands at the entrance a few minutes before he closes the door behind Kaede's departing figure, making sure the click of the door is silent.

 _What's he doing? Why's he..._

The Ultimate Detective straight up at me, like he knew from the very beginning when he walked in.

Flabbergasted and caught off guard by the eye contact, all I can do is stare back at him from where I am, up until Shuichi shifts his gold eyes uncomfortably and steps aside so he's no longer beneath me.

"Um...that's probably not too comfortable for you, so why don't you come down for a moment?" He inquires politely, his voice as disarming as it was back in the dining hall.

"Why? So you can call everyone over? So you can interrogate me some more? I just want to be alone right now. Is that a crime?" I huff, despite the fact that my nerves are rebelling against my bad attitude. My arms and legs are trembling a little from exertion and effort, and Shuichi seems to notice by the concerned look on his face.

"I-If I meant to call everyone over, I would have done so already. I'm not trying to interrogate you either, I promise. But...I really do think you should come down, I don't think-"

My grip slips and I feel air rush past me for a moment, up until arms wrap around me so I'm half slumped but not completely turned into a pancake on the floor. When I realize who's holding me, I stand up and jump back anxiously with a red face of frustration and embarrassment. Shuichi looks somewhat embarrassed as well, but substantially less.

At the same time, I grab my hair and fluff it over my red face as Shuichi angles his cap to hide his face- both of us blurting out "I'm sorry" in unison.

Surprised, we look back at each other wide eyed...and break into a few giggles and laughs of amusement as a result of our ridiculous similarities. The tension in the air fades, enough that by the time we stop laughing, nothing seems wrong. Well... _almost_ nothing.

"Uh, Shuichi? If you're not here to interrogate me...why did you send Kaede away if you knew I was in here?" I inquire tentatively, shuffling my feet and feeling a small wave of embarrassment at my lack of sneakers.

"I figured you wouldn't appreciate being found out by too many people too early. Besides, this lets me have a moment to talk with you...and to apologize," Shuichi explains sheepishly, making my eyes widen a fraction in surprise. Why would he want to apologize? What for?

"What do you mean?" I inquire, puzzled by his words and going through my memories for any reason he would need to do such a thing.

"Earlier before Monokuma reappeared, I asked you where you were and everybody got the wrong idea because I got quiet...I didn't mean for that to happen. I got lost in my thoughts at the wrong moment. The last thing I wanted was for everyone to antagonize you when you just got back to us, so I apologize for that," Shuichi continues, his gold eyes shifting downwards as he tilts his hat over his eyes to obscure his expression.

"N-No!" I blurt out, guilty he feels like he needs to apologize for the attitude of the others. "Shuichi, you didn't snap at me or do anything wrong, you asked a perfectly valid question due to the nature of our situation. It's okay, you don't need to apologize."

"But..." Shuichi looks up, despite me being substantially shorter. I shake my head to ward off any more of his thoughts, casting him a friendly smile.

"I presume you don't want anyone around still, right?" Shuichi asks after a moment, prompting me to nod. "By the way...do you know you hit Rantaro with your other shoe when you left the dining hall? Had it been anyone else, I'm sure he would have been annoyed, but he seems to have boundless forgiveness for you. It honestly baffles me how open he seems with you."

My cheeks burn red with horror at the news, processing his words anxiously. I hit Rantaro with my shoe?! ...Dear lord, I'm a _disaster._

"W-What do you mean, 'for me'? He's nice to everyone...and actually, he chewed me out earlier this morning for tripping Kokichi. I don't care what Rantaro says, that rat deserved it as far as I'm concerned and I don't regret it one bit," I grumble moodily, crossing my arms with a scowl at the memory of what Kokichi had done...and a slight shiver of disgust at what _I_ had to do to get back at him. Shuichi laughs nervously at my words, but doesn't press the topic.

"Ah, well Kokichi aside, Rantaro is a bit enigmatic to the rest of us. He can't remember his talent due to his corrupted memory and it always feels like he's alluding to something more. When you're around though...it's like he changes a little. I don't know, maybe I'm looking into it too much, but I think you're good for him, you know? I-I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries by saying something like that..." Shuichi trails off, voice growing quiet as I give him a surprised but honest smile.

"Thank you. I don't actually know if I'm good for him in any way, but I appreciate the sentiments, Shuichi. At any rate, he's probably a better influence for me and my..." I duck my head a little and make a bit of a face as I cover my jaw with my fluffy hair in embarrassment. "...bad attitude...don't tell him I said that though, okay? It's embarrassing. I may not think boys are degenerates like Tenko does, but some of you have a nasty habit of blabbing the first thing that pops in your head. Honestly, the worst offender is definitely Kokichi, but at least I expect that of him and have enough time to prepare for it."

Shuichi holds up his hands defensively, laughing sheepishly.

"Don't worry, I-I won't say a thing. I don't want to be on the receiving end of your wrath or anything," the Ultimate Detective states before I see him off handedly playing with his fingers. There's this look on his face like he's hesitating from saying something on his mind. He's not actually afraid of little ol' me, is he? Sure, it's refreshing, but I don't want him to stop talking to me because I might explode on him. I'm not _that_ bad!

"Shuichi, I-I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything, you can relax. What's on your mind?" I inquire, obviously catching him off guard as I lean back against the wall and watch as he looks up at me with a timid guilty smile.

"That obvious, huh?" Shuichi pauses as if gathering his words together before continuing with, "I know I said I wasn't going to interrogate you, but I do have a question I wanted to ask after what happened in the dining hall."

 _Well, I guess I can't really fault him for asking. He_ _is_ _the Ultimate Detective after all- it's in his nature to be questioning everything in his case._

"Alright. You can ask me, I guess. It might help us in this situation...but in return, I want to ask _you_ a question. Deal?" I inquire, noticing an edge of hesitation from Shuichi by my words. "Listen, I'd like to put all mu trust in you. I want to. But it's not smart since I don't know you...so this is as good of a deal you're going to get if you want me to talk."

Shuichi swallows but eventually nods, body stiff as I push off the wall and grab the sleeve of his coat to pull him towards the desks where we can sit. Once we both settle in the seats, I take a quiet deep breath to prepare myself- just in case it's something I _can_ answer.

"If you can't answer something because of Monokuma, just let me know, okay?" Shuichi speaks first, prompting me to kind of smile a little.

"Oh, so there's multiple questions? I knew it," I giggle a little, although I don't get up to leave since the idea doesn't quite bother me as much after talking to Shuichi for the past few minutes. He really _is_ disarming in a way. I feel totally relaxed with him.

"Alright, so first...before you said Kokichi cornered you because he was waiting with his door open to listen for when you would come out, right? Out of curiosity, why didn't you seek someone out if you were awake at that time? None of us would have been upset to see you were alive and well, no matter the hour," Shuichi presses gently, hands folded in front of him on the table in a somewhat professional manner.

"I wanted to. I wanted to see Rantaro, but...stupid Kokichi wanted to see inside my room, so I had to stay and guard it so he wouldn't break into it with his lock picking," I explain, noticing Shuichi cock his head to the side at my statement.

"Why didn't you want him seeing your room? Just for snooping and private reasons, or...?" He inquires, brushing some of his bangs aside to see me a little better.

At first I look up at him in confusion, but then I remember he came in last with Kaede...and most of the people- maybe a little more than half of them or something- never heard about the situation with my room.

"I'd like to blame it on the fact I was tired and slept terribly, but honestly...I was just e-embarrassed of my room..." I admit, feeling my cheeks start to heat up and pulling my hair over my face to avoid looking up to see whatever incredulous expression Shuichi may be wearing. "I-I know it's stupid, but I felt _bad._ My room is completely empty, cold, and made of cement- practically a dungeon! I just felt like I had no right to complain because it was my own dumb choices against the monokubs that made them treat me like this. I deserve it for always disobeying them..."

I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose, not really expecting much of a response out of Shuichi. Because of that, I'm thoroughly surprised when he opens his mouth with a much different tone than I've heard from him thus far.

"Now hold on a second!"

I look up at him, jumping a little in surprise when Shuichi stands up- gold eyes radiant and determined as he rests his gaze on me.

"What do you mean you 'deserve it'? You don't deserve any of this! You may be a little reckless, but your actions are not _dumb_ choices. Prairie, we're in a killing game and all you're doing is _objecting_ to it. How can anyone be faulted for wanting to live? You've been fighting even harder than the rest of us, so much that Monokuma sees you as a genuine threat. Don't let him fool you into thinking you're doing the wrong thing by fighting back," Shuichi exclaims, making me gape up at him quietly as I absorb his words.

A beat or two passes where Shuichi just stands there staring me dead in the eye...and then seems to return to his senses as a blush of embarrassment coats his features with a rosy glow. Looking extremely mortified by his passionate outburst, Shuichi sits back down stiffly with wide eyes drilling into the desk between us. He looks just about as taken aback by his bold reaction as I am, but...

 _He's right. When it's put like that, he's absolutely right._

"...I wasn't expecting that out of you, but I get it. I shouldn't have tried to hide it, trying to sleep in my room almost gave me hypothermia on top of everything. Kokichi ended up rallying Kirumi, Rantaro, and Kiibo to help once he finally broke in, but it could have been worse if he'd have maybe given up or something."

I shake the morbid thought out of my head and look back at Shuichi with a smile.

"Anyways, that's the mystery of my room. Any other questions?" I ask, earning a nod from Shuichi as he seems to relax a little more.

"My next question is, uh, how you were able to take down Monosuke's Exisal. I mean, those gaps in the machine are very narrow- and to pierce it would take a lot of accuracy as well as a lot of strength to cut the wires on top of it. So how did you do it? Something like that would require someone with capable skills in combat..." Shuichi trails off when my expression goes blank at his words. "...? What?"

 _He's right, but...I've attributed that instance to being a result of my intuition rather than any pre-existing skill. Am I giving my abilities too much credit? It didn't work earlier when I tried to figure out what_ _Shuichi_ _and_ _Kaede_ _were being so secretive about._

 _Presumably, it might not be an ability that just goes and pulls answers straight out of the void. I can probably test it out in the game room some more after this- I just need to make sure no one else is around to see me do it._

"There are a few extra rules Monokuma gave me to follow since I know more than the rest of you. I can't answer that question, or they'll kill me," I explain, prompting Shuichi to click his tongue a little in disappointment but nod in understanding. "Sorry about that."

"That's fine, your safety is more important. That question was more of a curiosity anyways. Even if you couldn't answer, I still learned something in that Monokuma prohibits you from speaking about it," Shuichi comments with a half smile, to which I smile back at in relief. I don't know why I get so nervous when I have to reject answering a question Monokuma doesn't want me to answer...Shuichi's right. I shouldn't feel ashamed about the things that are out of my control.

"Last question and I'll leave you alone," Shuichi continues, now folding his hands as if he's about to ask something...touchy. I steel my nerves and straighten up, waiting for him to continue. "What happened in the dining hall just now...you and Monotaro were acting strange when Monokuma brought up that issue with the knife."

 _Oh. He noticed. That's not good- I definitely can't tell him about_ _Monotaro_ _, it could put both of them in danger, whether the red bear acting out is a ploy or not._

"I...can't tell you, Shuichi. I'm going to be honest- it's _not_ because Monokuma put a rule against it, but because I think it's the smart thing to do right now," I explain with a low voice, biting my lip with uncertainty. "I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong- smart or _beyond_ stupid...but I want all of us to get out of here."

I lift my head and look at Shuichi, making sure I keep direct eye contact with him.

"Unfortunately, making sure escape is possible means I need to keep a few things secret for everyone's sake. Even if it does mean people are less likely to trust me," I confess, watching as Shuichi swallows nervously. Spotting it, I cock my head to the side slightly and frown in mild confusion. He's looking at me weirdly again. It's the same look he gave me back in the dining hall... "Shuichi? Are you okay?"

...

Shuichi eventually gives me a timid smile and manages a nod like his head weighs a thousand pounds.

"Uh, yes- I'm okay!" He speaks up, standing and giving another anxious nod. "Right well, I guess I'll, um, leave you alone now in that case. Thank you for answering my-" Shuichi continues, already making his way to the classroom door to leave.

I stand up abruptly, shock and offense forming across my features. Is he trying to skip out on me?! I didn't get to ask him my question!

 _"Hey!_ Shuichi, wait!" I say as I jump around a couple of the desks. "I didn't get to ask-!"

Shuichi turns to look at me as I approach him, but he opens the door before I can pull him back.

Just as I reach out for his arm, the door is opened and pulled out of Shuichi's lax grip. I stop in my tracks when Rantaro and Kaede appear on the opposite side of the door, surprise coating their features when they see me behind Shuichi a few feet.

"Ah! You found her! I was _wondering_ what was taking you so long!" Kaede chirps, none the wiser that Shuichi knew I was in there from the start and in actuality sent her away to talk to me alone. Kaede turns to look at Rantaro with a smile. "Well, I guess you want to speak to her alone, right? We'll be off for now in that case. Let us know if you need anything else later, okay? We'd love to help."

"Yeah, and thanks for the help," Rantaro casually answers with that velvet deep voice of his, offering the other two a wave while I shoot Shuichi a look and shake my head in obvious disappointment. His eyes widen as if he's just realized something and then he winces, Kaede taking his arm to pull him along out of our way. I'm not sure if Shuichi had forgotten his end of the deal and _accidentally_ started to leave, or if he was purposefully dodging the question. Whichever it was though, I'm upset regardless.

Kaede offers me a smile and a wave, and I give her my most convincing plastic smile in my arsenal. As soon as she's no longer able to see me around the hallway, I roll my eyes and turn to walk into the classroom where I'd been sitting with Shuichi originally.

 _Great, lecture time with Rantaro...again._

As Rantaro closes the door and enters, my eyes spot my maroon sneakers I'd abandoned in his left hand. He was nice enough to pick them up for me.

 _Funny, I_ _don't_ _see him being as nice as this with any of the others in the killing game. Probably because no one else is reminding him of his sister._

Rantaro takes a seat in the desk in front of me, sitting on the chair backwards. With a soft sigh, he gets comfortable and sets my shoes on the floor. Once he's completely situated, he faces me and our eyes meet.

 _Here we go._

 ** _End of 2.5 - Disarming Interrogation_**

* * *

 _ **A/Ns:**_

 _To Guest: Hey again! Thanks for the last review on the chapter again! It's always really nice seeing even just one comment on the story ;w; I hope this chapter was to your liking too, but don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet! Who knows if Prairie really_ is _out of the clear for Punishment Time... uwu or even Monotaro for that matter._

 _Thank you again for reading! 3_


	18. 2:6 - Invalid Trust

_**2.6 - Invalid Trust**_

... _Why isn't he saying anything? We've been in here for several minutes and Rantaro has been totally quiet this entire time._

"What do you want? At least _say_ something, you're weirding me out," I blurt out after a moment, prompting Rantaro to cast me a smile and rest his elbows on the backrest of the chair he's sitting on improperly.

"..." Rantaro still doesn't answer, but now he's actively studying my face. I give him a leer of confusion at first, but it eventually evolves into puzzled embarrassment when he leans forward over the chair to get a better look at me. At this point, my cheeks are red hot and I can't help but shrink back a little in my seat and yank my hair over my lower jaw to help regain some of my composure. "...You're a smart girl, Prairie. There's no doubt about that. So it baffles me why you go and try instigating these fights with Monokuma."

Rantaro isn't taking a scolding tone with me...yet. But still, I'm irritated despite it. For the moment, I just sit there and quietly wait for some elaboration from the green haired ultimate. It's obvious I'm still getting scolded for the most part, but he's taking a different approach this time it seems.

"...Are you sure you ought to be playing with fire like this? You really worry me with this behavior of yours and-"

"Then _stop_ worrying. Other than those times we met in the other resets, we're strangers to each other too, you know? You shouldn't be so concerned about me," I cut him off, hating how unaffected he appears by my interruption or sudden verbal aggression.

"I could say the same thing about you, although...I was a little surprised considering _who_ you were concerned about and took the blame for back in the dining hall, but still. You didn't have to do that. I'm worried for the same reason you were worried about M-...him," Rantaro continues, much to my annoyance.

Obviously he noticed...but why doesn't he just give up? This is ridiculous...if he's not going to give up willingly, I'll _make_ him.

I stand up from my seat and Rantaro abruptly does the same, paralleling a memory of the time in the gym when I'd punched him in the face.

"Are you sure it's the same reason? I don't see you doing the same with everyone else. Heck, it sounds like they hardly understand you at all, going by what Shuichi told me," I reply, voice an annoyed hiss as my irritation becomes more and more apparent.

"And you think you understand me?" Rantaro inquires, following me when I turn to head to the classroom exit. He's easily able to keep in step with me, even as I'm able to quickly slip past the desks in the classroom with my smaller body. I can't help but laugh a little at his question, considering how obvious the answer is.

"If I understood you, we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?" I ask rhetorically, grabbing the door handle and pulling at the door...only for it to remain unmoving in the door frame. As it stays stuck shut, I tug at it harder and even lean back to use my weight as a source of leverage. When it becomes clear that it's not about to open anytime soon, my eyes eventually land on the locking mechanism I failed to see on the door earlier. Rantaro was tinkering with the door for a while before he sat down with me, wasn't he…?

I slowly trial my eyes around to look at Rantaro, who is holding up a key in his hand, one which is then tucked in his pocket once I've seen it. Something about it tickles the back of my mind, but I'm too frustrated with Rantaro to focus on it. I shove the oddity of the key in the back of my mind to deal with later.

"So now you're locking me in rooms on top of scolding me like a child, huh?" I demand, fully facing the green haired teen and crossing my arms with a sharp glare.

"Well, I had a feeling you'd try and run away. Prairie, I don't enjoy this either, I really just want to talk to you. If by the end of it you still feel the same way you do right now, then I'll leave you alone just like you want," Rantaro insists calmly, a pleading expression across his features.

"Why? Nobody _wants_ to be forced to talk," I respond, facing the door again to pull at the handle in search for a kink that's deteriorated- like most of the school is itself. If I'm lucky, maybe the handle might be so weak it breaks off.

"Prairie, stop that already, you're going to strain something," Rantaro comments, behind me to which I respond, "Maybe, but I fail to see how that's _your_ problem. If I'm self destructing, it's none of your business. There's no 'we' in self destruct."

The door resists my pulling stubbornly, up until I lose my grip and fly back into Rantaro. He seems to more or less expect it, catching me easily and helping me up despite the swats I give him for his help. He still doesn't seem irritated, but he does look disappointed with me at the moment. Thankfully, he's not the "I told you so" type, or I'd be even more infuriated with him.

"Then I'm making it my business if you're going to openly admit you're a danger to yourself," Rantaro huffs as I increase the space between us. I bump into the door again and Rantaro steps forward carefully, only stopping when I put up my fists and narrow my eyes at him. He wisely takes that step of his back in a retreat at the threat.

"So you'd punch me again then?" Rantaro queries, though unlike that other time, he appears somewhat amused by it.

"If it'll get the message through your thick skull, yes," I lie right through my teeth, hating how Rantaro sort of smiles and looks up thoughtfully as he runs a hand through the back of his hair.

"Alright, that sounded like a lie to me, but…" He starts off calmly, composure ever so steady while I seeth dangerously from where I'm standing at his aloof behavior. "Go ahead and punch me again if you want."

 _...What? Is he doubting me_ _ **again**_ _? Even knowing I've already punched him before successfully? Or did he not believe Kokichi?_

"You don't think I will?" I demand, temper igniting to more dangerous levels at the challenge.

"Oh no, I really do think you'll punch me. I still feel the last one, though before Kokichi said anything I had no idea it was because I got punched in the face," Rantaro admits with that small smile still on his face, thought he seems to sober up after a moment to explain himself. "I'm gonna let you do it because it seems like you have a lot of steam to let loose. It's not good to bottle it all up inside, so...I might as well be your temporary punching bag."

 _Like it's good to be someone_ _ **else's**_ _punching bag in that case?! What's with this double-standard on unhealthy behaviors?! This is the freaking part I don't understand about him, why is he always like this? Why is he such a big weirdo?!_

I raise my fist for a moment and watch Rantaro tighten his jaw, already prepared for the impact of my knuckles. Just as I pull my arm back to wind up the punch however...I pause.

 _...Of course I don't want to punch him again. I hated it after I had punched him before the first time, there's no way I can do it again. But I'm still upset with him._

I lower my fist and look away, feeling my cheeks warm up in annoyance and embarrassment in the wake of my empty threat.

"I hate you."

"...If that were true, I think you'd punch me in the face," Rantaro comments after a moment, making the mistake of reaching out to brush some hair behind my ear.

I slap his hand away, right at my wits end with him.

" _God!_ Why are you acting like you care about me?!" I burst out, prompting Rantaro to reel back, visibly surprised by my outburst going by the shock embedded across his gaping features.

"Wha-? _Acting?_ Prairie, I'm not-" Rantaro tries to speak for himself, but I cut him off immediately.

"Stop it! The only reason you're nice to me is because I remind you of your sister _and that's it!"_ I snap, feeling an awful jab of pain in my chest when I see this sudden stiffness ripple across his entire form, like I've hit a nerve or something. Guilty, I turn to the door again. "Just leave me alone. Don't pretend I'm someone I'm not."

My heart pounds as I pull the door a little more, eventually giving up on finding a kink and instead resorting to pounding my fist on the door to get someone's attention.

"Kaede? Shuichi!" I call out, since I doubt Rantaro will be nice enough to let me out after that look I saw on his face after I said what I said. Clearly his sister is a sensitive topic to be avoided unless he brings it up himself. Not that it matters much anymore though. With what just happened, there's no way he'll want to talk to me ever again.

I hear nothing on the other side of the door at first, but eventually the sound of footsteps make their way to the classroom door and-

"Sorry, those two aren't available right now, please leave a message!" I let out a breath of relief at who the voice is, since it's who I meant to have Shuichi and Kaede find if they were the ones that would have answered.

"Kokichi! Can you unlock the door please?" I ask, hearing an amused hum of interest from the teen on the other side.

"Hm. Isn't Rantaro in there with you? Why isn't _he_ opening it?" Kokichi inquires, making me frown a little. Why does that matter?

"He wanted to talk to me, but we're done talking. Please let me out!" I press again, bouncing on my toes as my eagerness to leave rises.

"Why should I? I don't wanna lock pick anymore today. I worked my fingers off breaking into your room last night!" Kokichi responds, making the door shift as if he were leaning back against it. "Sorry, Prairie Dog, that's a _no_ from me."

" _Rat!"_ I shout at the door, slamming my fist on the door again. "Let me out!"

"No!" He shouts back in a mocking and annoying voice, breaking off into his trademark laugh.

I'm just about to open my mouth and convince him when I feel Rantaro wrap his arms around my waist, making me cry out in surprise and freeze up as I'm carried far back to the end of the classroom, where he sits me down away from the door.

 _He's mad, he's definitely mad, maybe I shouldn't have said anything about his sister, he probably misses her and I made it worse by talking about her and-_

"I'm sorry, Prairie," Rantaro interrupts my troubled mind, making me look up in complete surprise and fall silent as I see my green haired companion staring down at me sympathetically rather than in a disappointed manner.

"...Huh?" I ask, bewildered by the change in his tune. _He's_ the one apologizing? What? Why would he need to? Is there something he did that completely flew over my head like it had when Shuichi apologized for accidentally giving off the impression I was up to suspicious activities?

At my questioning gaze, Rantaro sits down on the desk next to me.

"Well, my mentioning of you reminding me of someone in my family...I mean, I didn't realize I'd told you about my sisters before, and I didn't mean to make you feel I only liked you because of your similarities to one of them," he continues, hitting the nail right on the head in that sense, but…

' _Sisters'? As in...more than one? Plural?_

"Prairie? What's wrong? You're sort of making a funny face," Rantaro speaks up again, green eyes studying me curiously.

"...No, nothing," I answer after a second, honestly confused as I think back to when Rantaro mentioned his sister in the first reset. I can't quite remember what he had said before, but I thought… "It's probably nothing, I must have misunderstood back then or I'm not remembering it right."

"Misunderstood what?" Rantaro presses after a second, making me look back at him to see that he's very curious about whatever I have on my mind.

"Um…" I start, looking down at the table when his gaze becomes too much for me. "Well, during the first reset when you were cleaning the cut on my arm, you mentioned I reminded you of your little sister…"

My hand drifts to the stitched "X" shaped gash on my bicep thoughtlessly on impulse. It doesn't ache anymore, thankfully. My pain threshold must be really good for both the burn and the cut to not hurt anymore.

"The way you said it, I could have sworn you only had _one_ sister," I explain, meeting his suddenly blank expression nervously and immediately feeling like I've done something wrong. As soon as I see it on his face, I hold up my hands and laugh anxiously. "L-Like I said though, I probably got the wrong message or I'm not remembering it correctly!"

"...Does that stutter mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Rantaro suddenly asks with a playful smile, one that half of me notices sort of hides this critical look I can barely make out in his eyes. Considering it soon vanishes when my cheeks start to heat up at his words, I chalk it up to my imagination and instead look away quietly with puffed cheeks of annoyance. "Guess not, huh."

His laugh only annoys me more, giving me the slight impression he's not taking my frustration with him seriously.

"Anyways...I have twelve younger sisters," Rantaro drops casually, prompting me to whip my head back his way as my annoyance contorts into disbelief.

" _Twelve?!"_ I blurt out, giving the relaxed but somewhat proud looking teen an incredulous look. "No way."

"Yes way. I have twelve sisters, and I'm the big brother to them all," Rantaro explains with a somewhat sad look in his eye, though it's gone as soon as I think I spot it, replaced with amusement when I stare back at him to see if he's lying. Twelve is extremely _excessive._

He takes a moment of my awe and contemplation to reach out and fix my bow after I find no disingenuity in his eyes, smiling more when I don't slap his arm away since I'm trying to wrap my head around the news.

"My god...your poor mother."

Rantaro turns away to sputter in sudden laughter, one that frustratingly makes my heart skip a beat when he looks back at me and shakes his head.

"No, no. They're all step-sisters. We all have the same father but different mothers, though it doesn't change how I feel about them. Each one of them are unique in some way, you know? I don't have any favorites…" Rantaro moves his hand to poke my nose, making me jump a little in surprise. "In that sense, you ought to have realized no matter your similarities to my sisters, you're also different from them too. Unlike you, the sister in question I was probably referring to is not as rambunctious as you. She's a bit lazy like Himiko actually, but maybe not as bad as she has it...also, she doesn't punch me or throw shoes at me."

My cheeks heat up again at the call-out, making me cover my jaw with my fluffy hair in embarrassment.

"Feel free to apologize whenever you feel comfortable."

"...no," I respond, still irritated with him since I don't quite believe his claims that he's nice to me for any other reason than my similar traits to his sister...one of apparently many.

"Hm. Look at that, you're also more stubborn. Nothing like any of my sisters, actually," Rantaro comments much to my mild offense. I jump to my feet and march towards the classroom door again, hearing Rantaro sigh heavily and glancing back to see him get up to follow me. By the time he's up, I speed over and grab the door handle in time as he catches my waist and lifts me up to try and carry me back to the end of the classroom.

"Kokichi, _get me out of here!"_ I call out as I keep my grip on the handle to prevent Rantaro from taking me back.

"Prairie, come on, you're being over dramatic," Rantaro tries to calm me down, prompting laughter on the other side of the door as a result of his statement. My cheeks are like fire at this point, rage seething from my inner being's core.

"Ha! And you said _I_ was the drama queen? Eat your heart out, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi laughs outside in the hall, clearly amused by my suffering.

Rantaro manages to unpeel my white knuckled grip from the door handle and hauls me back to where we were previously. As he sits me down, I shoot him a scathing scowl and cross my arms. The green haired guy just laughs off my glare in awkward embarrassment as he takes a seat beside me.

"How are you not done yet? You can't keep me here forever and you can't force me to like you," I point out, eyeing Rantaro suspiciously for his intent.

"I can't force you, you're right, but I just want to make sure you aren't mad at me because of any misunderstandings. Prairie, do you think I'd be trying this hard for your favor if I didn't like you or only liked you for your minor similarities to my sister?" Rantaro questions, making me slouch in my seat defiantly.

"...no, I guess not…" I reluctantly answer.

"I'm here because I honestly like you. I like how sweet you can be, I like that you value everyone here even when you get mad at them. Admittedly, your feistiness can be amusing at times- when you _aren't_ trying to maul anyone. Not to mention your jealousy of my sister is somewhat charming in a way and-" Rantaro has to cut himself off to stand up and catch me when I launch myself out of my desk to try and make a break for the door again.

This time, my attempted escape is not out of anger, but horror and embarrassment. No one likes being called out as "jealous". _Nobody._

" _Kokichi!"_ I call out again, this time louder and obviously begging for rescue- or if not that, the mercy of being put out of my absolute misery. Unsurprisingly, my pleas go entirely ignored by the useless violet waste of space outside the room.

"It's okay, it's okay! Come on, Prairie, there's no shame in it. I'm flattered you value my attention. It makes me happy knowing you like me too, you know?" Rantaro comments, making me hide my red face with my hair as I take a step back from him. "So...are we still friends then?"

Rantaro holds out a hand for me to take, which I drop some of my hair to look at dubiously.

…

"You exhaust me and I hate you."

Rantaro's expression is a smiling one- which goes stiff as I say my honest thoughts I have of him. Before he can respond in any other way though, I submit to my real feelings and push his hand aside to hug him instead and hide my face in his shirt.

"But I _guess_ we're still friends," I add sheepishly, smiling a little when I feel him hug me back tightly with a laugh. "You know you're one of the weirdest people of our entire group, right? Who willingly offers to be punched to make someone _else_ feel better?"

"Am I really? When we have people like Miu and Kokichi running around here?" Rantaro asks curiously, making me look up to nod firmly and prompting him to laugh more as a result. "Well, if you say so."

Rantaro takes my hand and leads me back to the desks I'd been using to converse with Shuichi, picking up my shoes and offering me them. I take them with a smile and sit down, pulling them on as Rantaro quietly watches me untie and retie the laces to fit my feet.

"About Shuichi, Prairie...you don't have to answer, but what were you two talking about in here before Kaede and I found you two? I mean, you were both in here for a while," Rantaro asks seriously as I finish tying my last shoe and look up at him from my seat.

"Oh. Well, at first he just wanted to apologize because he felt bad that he made everyone suspicious of me in the dining hall. He asked me a few questions about my room after that, namely why I didn't come out earlier and what was wrong with my room in the first place," I tell him, flattening my socks and my skirt as I stand up again and start walking with him to the door.

"Anything else?" Rantaro inquires, fishing the key for the room out until I put my hand on his arm to stop him at the realization of what's been bothering me regarding the key as it jumps out from the back of my mind.

"Wait a minute...Rantaro, where did you get a key for this room? Actually, since when did any of the classrooms have locks anyways?" I question now that it's been brought to my cognizance.

"It was just hanging right here by the door," Rantaro comments, tapping what appears to be a copper hook by the door frame as he unlocks the room door and opens it so we're able to see Kokichi just on the other side. Before the Ultimate Supreme Leader can open his mouth to get a word in, I speak up again.

"That's suspicious. This room might have something of interest in that case, especially with a locking mechanism that needs a key for _both_ sides of the door," I comment, turning my back to the other teen purposefully to give the room a once-over.

"Well, putting that aside for now, I sort of have a weird question for both of you. Does the term 'Ultimate Hunt' ring any bells for you guys?" Rantaro asks both Kokichi and I, the former in question twirling a lock of his hair casually as he listens to us.

"Nope. What's that supposed to be?" Kokichi asks with an aloof yawn before noticing Rantaro's gaze glued to me when I don't answer. Kokichi looks at me as well until I respond, "I can't answer that."

Both boys give me unique looks of curiosity, but thankfully neither press the fact anymore. Although...why and _how_ would Rantaro know about that? Rantaro shouldn't have the memory of even just the name of the Ultimate Hunt, it should have been erased with the last reset we'd gone through. There's really only one possibility why he would know it- however vague.

 _So then...it's not just Shuichi and Kaede that know something the rest of us don't. They aren't the only one keeping secrets...Rantaro has secrets of his own as well._

Just like that, my heart gives this painful thud of betrayal. How quickly just a simple curious question in the killing game can completely invalidate an entire heart-to-heart conversation and shatter trust in the blink of an eye. Somehow, just knowing he's keeping secrets- especially _after_ so many attempts to regain my favor- makes me feel even worse than I had felt under the pretense of thinking he didn't care about me at all for my individuality.

In all actuality, maybe it would have hurt less realizing this if he _hadn't_ apologized and insisted he cared in the first place. It feels like a sucker punch to the face.

I turn away silently and start walking towards the stairs, only taking a few steps before hearing Rantaro speak up.

"Prairie?" He asks in obvious confusion by my sudden departure.

 _No, I am_ _ **done**_ _talking to you._ _ **Very**_ _done._

"Like I said before, you can't force me to like you. Leave me alone," I throw back over my shoulder, an obvious mood swing that doesn't appear to go unnoticed by either of the boys I leave as I reach the stairs and head back down to the first floor.

I don't stop walking until I get outside of the main school building where I can see the so called "Wall of the End", looming over me as a reminder of just how trapped we all are with one another.

 _To do list: go to the game room to test my intuition or...climb. Get a better look around the school and a closer view of the weird sky that's been bothering me. Considering I don't want to run into Rantaro anytime soon right now, at least until I'm less irritated with the revelation of his secret keeping- climbing is my best bet._

I look down at my clothes with an annoyed sigh, now completely regretting the fact I have a skirt on. Skirts are cute and I like them, but there's no way I can climb with this on. To make matters worse, my other clothes are-

A yelp of surprise escapes me as something red and white catapults into me suddenly like a tornado, jumping off and landing in front of me as I register the familiar orange and black ultimate outfit I'm once again wearing.

"It's a different one from the other outfit! N-Now you have three things you can switch out wearing! Monophanie can't take it away from you either this time- because I asked Father for permission first!"

I look up to see Monotaro in front of me, looking eager to please and immediately shuffling his small red and white feet sheepishly once my eyes land on him. At the sight, I feel some of my original bitterness settle.

How ironic. Somehow the person that's supposed to be my friend made me feel bitter, but a person I should fear due to their assisted role in my imprisonment makes me feel better. Is this some sort of stockholm syndrome type of thing that's beginning to afflict me or something?

"...Y-You aren't mad at me, are you?" Monotaro surprisingly asks, voice so small that I bite my lip so I don't allow myself to _completely_ drop my guard.

"No, I'm not. Thanks for trying to help, I do appreciate it. However...unless you want Monokuma to kill _you,_ don't worry about me," I suggest, sighing and walking over to pat the bear's head in a short moment of cease-fire. Monotaro jumps a little at my touch and leans into my palm a little before I stand up again to continue my way to the wall. "I'll be fine."

Although I've advised Monotaro to forget about me, he still follows me when I walk through the courtyard- going around the strange cage structure and to the far end where we can look up at the impossibly tall wall of rock I've planned to climb.

 _Well, here goes nothing._

"Good luck!" Monotaro blurts out as I remove my gloves and tuck them under my belt, flexing my only _slightly_ raw left hand with the burn before I reach into my chalk pouch to coat my palms and fingers. I look back at Monotaro and manage a smile, even though I'm still wary of the bear's intentions.

"Thank you," I say, turning back to the wall.

With all that needs to be said spoken, I begin to scale the wall, hoping to god my muscle memory as the Ultimate Rock Climber holds strong and doesn't betray me mid free-solo.

It would suck to fall to my death this early, that's for sure...

 _ **End of 2.6 - Invalid Trust**_

* * *

 _ **A/Ns:**_

 _To Guest: I actually can't wait for the "Rantaro" incident either, I'm actually so eager to write out what happens! I won't spoil anything, but I hope it meets everyone's standards! This story has been so much fun to write so far, but I can't wait to get to the murdery parts lol~!_


	19. 2:7 - Celebrity Status

**_2.7 - Celebrity Status_**

"S-She's climbing it?! But it's impossible!" I hear the slow familiar voice of Himiko maybe a few feet below, making me turn my head curiously to look down at the ground about twenty feet away.

There's several people watching me from the grassy courtyard, this including Himiko, Gonta, Tenko, Miu, and Ryoma.

 _Impossible? No it isn't, I just have to trust my footing and balance is all._

"She can do it! Perfect Blitz is amazing!" Miu argues as I look back up to keep climbing, feeling my stomach churn just slightly in embarrassment at the idea of being observed in my endeavors. There's hardly a thing I can do to hide the red dust that coats my cheeks since my climbing sort of takes _all_ my available limbs to do.

"She's so high up...it's much different seeing it in person rather than seeing it on a magazine," Tenko coos thoughtfully with a smile, none of the five below really making an attempt to actually try talking to me even though I'm not even all that far away from them.

"You think _this_ is high? When you know the scales she's capable of climbing?" Ryoma questions curiously with ease, looking in no way bothered when Tenko sputters a 'degenerate male' remark his way.

"Gonta can climb too, but Gonta rather stay on ground. Better in case Small Prairie fall. Then Gonta catch with meat shield body," Gonta also sweetly adds his input, putting a smile on my face at his thoughtfulness. Something tells me there's no way I'd fall- at least not from my own mistake- but it's nice Gonta has thought of a way to watch my back.

"That's great and all, but check out her _ass!_ WOOO! That's a behind worthy of a celebrity, I'm tellin' ya!" I hear Miu drop suddenly, making me pause momentarily as I hear both Tenko and Gonta gasp in a distraught manner. At that point, I can't help but speed up my climbing to increase the distance between me and the others.

I'll just pretend she didn't say that.

It doesn't help that I have my hair tied back in a messy bun with my orange ribbon, making it pretty much impossible to even duck my head to hide my now completely ruby red features.

"...you're embarrassing her," Himiko huffs, prompting an offended noise of confusion from Miu as she elaborates. "Look at her, Prairie's like a tomato up there, she's obviously embarrassed about having her well-rounded glutes called out."

 _Then why are you making it worse by calling my_ _ **embarrassment**_ _out and putting it under the spotlight? Doesn't Himiko know you're supposed to let the source of the embarrassment die away without addressing it?!_

"W-What is she doing?! Why is she climbing the wall?! The monokubs said it was impossible, she's gonna hurt herself!" The sound of Kiibo's arrival makes me look down again, his cyan blue eyes meeting mine. "Prairie, get down, that's dangerous!"

Finally someone that talks directly to me.

"It's okay, don't worry about it! I've got it!" I try to reassure Kiibo, who shoots me an incredulous look in response.

"No! No it's not ' _okay'!_ What if you fall?!" Kiibo presses, prompting Gonta to respond with, "If Small Prairie fall, Gonta catch her!"

"...okay, but once she goes higher, catching her won't do any good. In fact, trying to catch her at a fall from that distance would probably kill you too," Ryoma cautions the well meaning Gonta as I continue climbing higher and higher.

 _I'm not coming down no matter what they say, but...this all seems to easy considering the monokubs said the wall was impossible to climb. Were they referring how it's all a slab and involves very precise smearing to traverse what little foot holds and grips are present, or...something else? 'Cause I don't think they were talking about the metal part of the wall for some reason._

Guess now's a good time to test if it's working again.

I close my eyes for a moment and pause my climbing to wipe sweat from my forehead, making it appear like I'm taking a momentary break when in actuality…

" _Give up, Ugly! Not even the Ultimate Rock Climber like you can climb it!"_

...Nothing useful. Just a flashback.

 _Maybe I should have gone to the game room first before climbing this...but I didn't want to run into Rantaro again._

I can still hear conversation below, but my mind doesn't make an attempt to clear out what's specifically being said, voices like white noise as I resume my climbing with a heafty exhale. It'll probably take a while- a _long_ while- before I get to the top of the climbable portion of the wall. Even just a good several feet away from the midway point of the wall, at level with a few of the buildings, my arms and legs are burning from effort and strain.

At this point, I can safely admit to myself I really _am_ the Ultimate Rock Climber. Looking down, most of the people from before are still watching from below, though it appears Kaito and Shuichi have joined them.

Since I'm mostly peering down to see the other Ultimates below, I almost overlook Monokuma sitting on top of the cage structure I'm about at eye-level with, blinking in surprise as I see him.

"Trying to find a way out despite all the warnings, huh, Miss Marble? How annoyingly fascinating! ...didn't I tell you try not to die just yet though? You call this obedience?!" The dual toned bear comments, standing up to stamp one of his soft feet in disapproval.

"I'm not gonna die from a little climbing, Monokuma," I respond, eyes narrowed on the bear as I scan some of the ground area to see if some of his less-than-pleasant kubs are around. It seems like Monotaro vanished once I'd started climbing, so he's not around anymore, but I can see Monosuke near the other ultimates with Monophanie, the yellow bear clearly annoying the others by what I can tell from their body language. "What do you want anyways? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Monokuma's stance relaxes as he puts his paws under his chin with a charming smile.

"Ah, Prairie Marble…I haven't taken as much of an actual interest in a killing game contestant as I had since the Ultimate Hope made himself known. People like you and him are one in a million, I tell ya. Nothing like the rest of the nobodies."

 _The way he says it...is a little strange._

"What do you mean 'nobodies'? Like everyone who isn't an ultimate is worthless or something? Monokuma, the way you devalue human life makes me sick. They're people too," I growl, prompting the monochromatic bear to laugh.

"I'm not only talking about those talentless cretins! I mean everyone in the killing games too! Even ultimates are mostly copy-and-paste individuals that lack flavor...all except for you and the Ultimate Hope. Maybe...I _could_ be looking a little too much into you. You'll probably die and I'll get back to the regular old killing game, realizing the mystery of you is as meaningless in the grand scheme of things as you are!" Monokuma giggles mirthfully. "We will see, won't we, Miss Marble? Go ahead. Keep trying. Keep climbing. The higher you climb, the harder you'll fall in the end. _Puhuhuhuhu~!"_

My gut is a pit, swirling with discomfort at his playful yet unnerving words. Eventually I manage to get a grip on my feelings and ask, "Why us?"

"What do you mean 'why'? There is no 'why', Miss Marble. You were all just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Monokuma finalizes, giving me no chance to ask or add anything as he turns to give me his back and jumps along the cage bars to slide down where the other students are with Monosuke and Monophanie. Monokid and Monodam have also appeared at this point, leaving Monotaro as the only monokub not present.

 _We were at the wrong place at the wrong time...hm. Rantaro said in the second reset that the killing game always consists of only ultimates. Isn't Monokuma's answer supposed to be more along the lines of, "because you all are ultimates"? "Wrong place, wrong time" implies we were just randomly snagged when we were all thrown in the Danganronpa van…_

 _Should I even be trusting Monokuma's implications in the first place?_

 _Presumably with no one having (or at least in regards to Kiibo, Korekiyo, Kokichi, and Gonta), it almost seems as if maybe save for Rantaro and I, everyone else was just snatched up and given an ultimate talent at random to fit the criteria of the killing game. It sounds outlandish, but it's not outside the realm of possibilities, right? I won't put all my eggs in one basket though, it could be something else. In the fourth reset, I remember the bears saying the Ultimate Hunt erased our memories and made us into normal people._

 _I can't wrap my head around this, everything's so convoluted!_

"PRAIRIE! ARE YOU OKAY?" I hear Kiibo call up, voice much louder than a normal human might be able to muster. I look down where everyone is and bite my lip. Even if I tried, they probably wouldn't hear me from up here- not unless Kiibo also has a great sound receiver built into him. I could always flash a thumbs up, but…

Glancing up at the ways I have to go to reach even halfway up the climbable segment of the wall, I replay Monokuma's words in my head again.

" _The higher you climb, the harder you'll fall in the end."_

…

"CAN YOU HEAR ME, OR SHOULD I RAISE THE VOLUME OF MY VOICE?" I hear Kiibo again, smiling a little despite myself. Kiibo's really funny- even though he hardly ever means to be. I guess it's just a robot thing.

I look back at the cage structure Monokuma was once standing on and sigh, closing my eyes.

 _Please don't fail me now. Information attempts are one thing- trusting my life on it is a whole 'nother thing._

Before I can chicken out, I kick off the wall as hard as I can to jump down to the top of the cage structure with my eyes closed. The sound of the other ultimates below gasping and shouting in obvious panic doesn't make me falter in the slightest, keeping my mind trained on my body's movement and trajectory. My eyes only pop open in honest surprise when I land with both feet on one of the slim metal bars easily, legs bent and feet firmly balanced on my landing.

 _It worked! I made a nearly impossible landing! ...I really need to visit the game room to test my intuition out, this is insane._

"PRAIRIE MARBLE, ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE US HEART ATTACKS?!" I hear Kiibo shrill from below, prompting me to turn my head down towards them just when I hear the unintelligible snapping of Miu making a response beside him. This is closely followed by Kiibo's reply to her- with no volume change, mind you, "I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ONE, BUT I HAVE AN EQUIVALENT FUNCTION THAT'S SIMILAR TO IT. DON'T BE ROBOPHOBIC."

I break into a smile that I hide with my arm, giggling to myself as Miu visibly shrinks back at the volume of Kiibo's voice. Her bravado visibly evaporates from her at the clap back, even though I'm pretty sure Kiibo had no intentions to yell at her- only sounding so due to retaining that ridiculously loud volume. Kiibo barely spares Miu another glance, turning to me instead as if he didn't notice he scared the blonde inventor half to death.

"PLEASE BE CAREFUL!" Kiibo quips, this time earning a thumbs up of understanding from me. When I shift and hug the bar to start sliding down it quickly at a rather perilous speed however- "YOU CALL THAT _CAREFUL_?!"

As I near the bottom I start to slow my speed by squeezing the bar more, but Gonta races over to the particular bar I'm sliding down. Since I see him there, I abandon caution and just let him catch me at the bottom with a smile. I could have honestly handled it, but if Gonta wants to help, then I'll let him.

"Thank you," I beam to Gonta, climbing out of his hold as the other Ultimates head on over to join us. Gonta is visibly delighted by my comment despite how mundane it is, leaning on over to even help me down on my feet like I weigh nothing. For Gonta, that's probably how it actually is though, he looks like he could suplex a train without breaking a sweat.

 _Should I just leave? Kiibo looks like he's about to pull a Rantaro and scold me again like he did back when I nearly clocked him in the face with a door._

In the end, I stay rooted where I am and wait for my punishment with a small sigh.

"Aw...it would have been better to see her go splat…" Monophanie laments upon approaching Gonta and I, yet again spouting her totally unnecessary comments as per usual.

"Do you want me to use you as a kick ball, you pink parasite?" Tenko is quick to drop on the pink dual toned bear, though Monophanie just looks up at the Ultimate Aikido Master with a casual stare.

"We still have two Exisals," the bear reminds Tenko thoughtfully, only for Tenko to persist undaunted with, "And you monokubs still aren't protected by any of Monokuma's rules."

"Well, we're gonna fix that soon so don't worry about it!" Monosuke snaps defensively, clearly upset to hear that point brought up again. It must really bother him to know they're unprotected...I wonder how he'll react when he realizes Monokuma doesn't actually care about him or the other kubs.

It's during the time that the bears scatter and disappear snickering to one another that Kiibo stomps his way past everyone to get to Gonta and I, wearing a visibly agitated expression across his pale synthetic features. Had his body not consisted of so many mechanical components, I'd honestly think I was actually looking at just a really pale human.

"PRAIR-" Kiibo winces in realization when I flinch and grab Gonta's arm at the eardrum blasting volume of his voice, the robot flicking at some things on his neck before resuming his initial composure. "Prairie, that was the most _reckless_ thing I've ever witnessed in the entirety of my existence! How could you do something so dangerous as jumping on an unreliable structure from such a high distance? What if something had happened?!"

He almost reminds me of Rantaro a little, though with slightly more aggression for my safety and...glossy eyes?

"If I could show emotion with tears, I _would!_ We're all supposed to get out of here together and be friends- how do you expect we do that if you're throwing yourself into danger at every given moment? Rantaro isn't the only one that cares, you know?"

This should have been obvious, but it still sort of knocks the air out of me to hear it blatantly stated to my face like that.

"Kiibo, I get that you're concerned, but as far as Rock Climbing? She's totally safe up there, trust me! Perfect Blitz has jumped from distances much higher and more precarious than what she just pulled here," Kaito cuts into the conversation, resting a hand on Kiibo's shoulder in a show of understanding. "Don't forget she's the Ultimate Rock Climber for a good reason."

Kaito flashes Kiibo a blinding grin and a thumbs up before turning his attention to me. Just like that, my blood pressure jumps back up. Why do I feel like the scolding somehow isn't over by the way Kaito's looking at me?

"Although...you still do worry a lot of us. For other reasons of course, but Kiibo's right when he says we want to get out of here together. What you did for me back when Monosuke was going for me...I honestly can't think of any way to repay you and I can't help but think that me even being as grateful and thankful as I am might end up somehow enabling you even more."

Kaito reaches up and plays with his goatee thoughtfully, looking up at the wall I'd been scaling as if the answers to his questions are up there somewhere.

"...Ah, what the hell! You're a smart girl, you'll just think of a way to get out of whatever trouble you get into!" Kaito laughs boisterously all of a sudden, giving his words no other thought and opening his arms with a jolly smile. "Come 'ere and gimme a hug so I can thank you properly!"

"So much for not enabling her…" Ryoma mumbles from where he is, a tint of amusement coloring his comment as I eye Kaito nervously.

Kaito wants a hug? B-But...that's so much human contact with a boy I barely know…!

After a moment's thought, I chicken out and turn my back on Kaito with a completely red face, covering my embarrassing blush with my hands and ducking behind Gonta for protection.

"Moron...you don't just go asking for hugs from celebrities...it's creepy," Himiko accuses Kaito with a bit of a sharp look, prompting the Ultimate Astronaut to lower his arms in honest confusion as he glances her way.

"Huh? But I was only- _hey!_ I'm not a moron!" Kaito is soon complaining, his expression incredulous and upset.

"Himiko, guys shouldn't be asking for hugs from _any_ girls. Prairie _or_ Kaede!" Tenko argues, though obviously for misandrist reasons than anything else.

"That's absolutely right! Besides, if you want to hug Prairie Dog, you can't ask her! You need to just go in for it like _this~!"_

"Punk, don't you DARE-!" Miu audibly starts to shout to someone behind me.

The sneaking scoundrel's familiar voice makes a chill of horror run up my spine when I realize _who's_ about to do _what_ behind me. I only manage to take one step before two arms snap around me hard and lift me up off my feet. A squeal in surprise escapes me as the person spins me around with a laugh, making me wriggle to free myself to no avail. They only drop me to run away when Tenko suddenly flies past Gonta and I- the fighting girl's expression dead set on catching Kokichi Oma this time.

I press a hand hard against my heart, quietly catching my breath from the scare. Stupid Kokichi and his stupid ideas!

"I don't think you just go _forcing_ hugs from celebrities either…" Himiko slowly adds, though the hint of uncertainty behind her words prompts me to give her an incredulous stare of my own.

"You don't force hugs on anybody, Himiko…" Shuichi corrects the red haired girl, glancing my way and then averting his gaze when I give him a critical look.

 _Okay, so whether what happened with him not fulfilling his end of the bargain was on purpose or an accident in that he forgot to, he's not gonna rectify the matter by pulling me aside to talk to me or anything then? Fine, whatever._

"Well, the show's over now guys. I need to do a few things before I try climbing the wall any higher," I explain, turning my back to them and heading for the school building. "If you're smart, you'll try looking for ways out too."

"Absolutely! We definitely will, but please don't be reckless on your end!" Kiibo shouts after me, still concerned about my bad habit presumably.

"I won't!" I lie expertly, looking around to make sure Kokichi isn't nearby to call me out on it.

I'm just about halfway past the cage structure in the courtyard when I hear footsteps scurry after me. At first I think it's Kokichi coming in to mess with me again, but stop myself from swinging a fist when I hear the person speak. It's a damn good thing she does too, or I'd have slugged an innocent.

"Prairie! I'll walk you where you're going!" Miu comments, falling into step with me with ease as the other Ultimates disperse and go their own ways- some in groups and others by themselves.

Once we're in the main school building, I slow to a casual stroll and look up at Miu curiously. She seems upbeat for someone in a bad situation like a killing game, probably since she's such a big "Perfect Blitz" fan. It's still a little overwhelming to be idolized unquestionably in such a way when I'm obviously nothing like Perfect Blitz, what with her being a bit brash and vulgar, but I'm sure I can get past it somehow.

"So I was thinking- do you have any plan to get past that stupid metal part of the cage? 'Cause I have this really crazy fuckin' idea on how to help if it's too sheer to climb," Miu jumps right into the issue, making me blink in surprise and nearly do a double take.

"Oh, u-um, I honestly didn't have one. I was planning to climb to the highest part of the rock segment and that was it. Just enough to get a closer look at the cage and eveything. If you have an idea for getting past the metal part I would definitely love to hear it though, that would help a ton," I laugh sheepishly, prompting Miu to beam and then jump up and down in excitement. After a second, she settles and lets a cocky grin curl across her features- one truly fitting for an inventor like herself.

"It's nice to hear someone in this shitty dump recognizes what I'm capable of! Not surprising since you're so cool and smart!" Miu laughs, puffing her chest out like a proud bird. With a grin, she turns to face me directly, making me come to a stop in response. "I have something I'm working on with shit I've found in the warehouse. Originally, I overheard you tellin' that bozo Kaito you were gonna scale that wall when you met him, _aaand..._ I decided to make somethin' to help ya out! I've been working on them ever since!"

"Wow, you're really handy to be able to use whatever's at hand for an invention," I gape, before something suddenly occurs to me. "Wait, you were working on it even when you thought I was dead too then?"

Miu blushes a little and presses her fingers together as if embarrassed, though she still looks rather proud of herself despite what I've pointed out to her.

"I figured _I_ could just try and climb up myself- since I've rock climbed once with no problem...you know, you make it look so cool...but with you back, it would be much _easier_ for you to use them! They should be done by tonight, just pop in the warehouse- I'll give 'em to you there!" Miu continues, any embarrassment quickly vanishing as her pride returns.

Just like that, without waiting for any other response from me, Miu ups and scurries away, leaving me alone in the school building's main entrance as she heads for the warehouse to finish whatever device she's convinced will help me climb higher.

 _Well, I'll need all the help I can get, that's for sure._

I look around to see if anyone's around to have seen the interaction, especially since I wouldn't want them telling Rantaro what I'm up to. Just when I finish a three-sixty of my surroundings, I deem the interaction to have no witnesses whatsoever. With that, I turn to make my way to the stairs that lead to the basement floor and-

"Hey, Prairie Dog!"

I let out a small squeak of surprise before slapping my hands over my mouth and narrowing my eyes on a rather smug looking Kokichi. Once I regain my dignity and composure, however...I do not engage. I just walk right past him without another word, pretending he doesn't exist.

"I said, ' _Hey, Prairie Dog'!"_ Kokichi makes another attempt, swerving right in my path a second time so I nearly bump into him. I stop, pressing my lips together tightly as I fight the urge to say something or call him names. No, ignoring him is definitely the best option- paying him any attention tends to usually encourage him more.

Rather than speak, I walk around him again and make a break to get to the stairs, only to have Kokichi zoom over and block my way with a mischievous smile.

"Say 'hi' and then I'll let you pass," Kokichi presses, obviously getting the gist that I'm ignoring him. Prideful and unwilling to give any leeway, I turn away ready to just leave and cross off game room testing for now. Surprisingly, Kokichi grabs my wrist and pulls me back so I turn to look at him. "Come on, it was just a simple hug, don't get your panties twisted over it."

My temper blazes at this remark, giving me an incentive to punch him into the next week at his blatant disregard for something any normal person would consider pretty much harassment- until I note an edge of trickery behind his casual demeanor. As soon as I spot it, the puzzle pieces come together to show me what Kokichi expects and _wants_ my reaction to be.

He's working me up so I talk. About what, I don't know, though I have an idea that it's whatever Miu is plotting to help me climb the wall. That, or maybe he saw me speaking with Monokuma... _that_ might be cause for him to want to know what the conversation was about.

 _Well, he's not getting it out of me, that's for sure! I'm mad at him- not_ _ **just**_ _for the stupid hug either. I don't care that he got Monokuma to pull back on my punishment with a few clever points, Kokichi's the worst!_

I try to take my hand out of his grip and fail, eventually just resorting to ignoring his blank-faced intimidating stare and letting him hold on to my wrist. Frustrated, I lean back by the stair rails and wait for something else to happen, desperately keeping my grip on my temper if only to irritate Kokichi. He seems to like setting me off more than he sets off everyone else...Though I can't figure out what exactly I've done to deserve such a treatment from-

"It was really cool seeing you jump from so high up the wall! Are you gonna do that too once Miu helps you out with that climbing gear she has planned?" Kokichi questions bluntly out of nowhere, jumping to a reasonable topic despite his tactless way of asking it.

 _So then he_ _ **was**_ _listening in on Miu and I...ugh, it's a shame Tenko didn't catch him and teach him a little lesson._

I look away from Kokichi defiantly- not even giving him the satisfaction of a huff or grunt of disdain on my part. How do I make him let go? Every time I try, he tightens his hold…

I make another attempt to pull out of his grip, but there's no letting go on Kokichi's end. He sighs over dramatically, as if totally bored by the silence. I have half the mind to tell him where he can stuff his boredom, but I keep my mouth shut.

"Don't be such a snore-fest, be the cool celebrity I know you are! Like this~!" Kokichi bounces back with a cheerful chirp, suddenly slapping a magazine lightly against my chest with a grin of excitement. " _Nee-hee-hee!"_

Annoyed, I take the magazine quickly to smack his hand away, reluctantly rolling my eyes and giving the magazine a dry look of disinterest. There's an ad on it by a brand called "Pink Elephant", the page depicting a satin black silk sheet with a fancy pink perfume bottle in the shape of a diamond smack in the middle of it.

"Flip it over," Kokichi suggests, making me give him a weird look but do as he says out of mild curiosity.

On the cover of the magazine aptly named Spla-Teen Vogue is a petite teenager in a pink bikini, pink bubbles floating across the photoshoot set which has a background of even more black silk. She has long straight hair, bangs curled in almost an Audrey Hepburn style just over her keen eyes. What she's wearing is somewhat uncomfortably revealing even for a bikini, causing my cheeks to glow red in secondhand embarrassment. At this point I end my silence with the violet, uh, apparent _pervert._

"W-W-Why the heck are you showing me this?! I don't wanna know what you're into, you creep, what do girls in bikinis have with being a 'cool' celebrity? Are you trying to imply something?" I complain heatedly despite my red face, eyeing Kokichi suspiciously as he stares at me quietly.

Once again, there's no expression on his face as he stands there with my wrist still in his hand. Nervous, I try to pull my wrist back, becoming more anxious when he actually grins as a result and tugs me closer.

"Hey, let's go bug Runturdo, he's downstairs!" Kokichi exclaims cheerfully, suddenly snatching the magazine out of my hand and dragging me down the stairs. I only follow at first since I _do_ want to go to the basement, but as we go further down my stomach does little flips and flutters.

Do I really wanna follow him? Do I _really?_ I'm getting some big red flags in my head after this encounter with Kokichi- especially considering that magazine he has with the scantily clad bikini girl.

We reach the bottom with no hiccups on the way down, Kokichi's grip on my wrist firm as he makes a beeline...for the game room. Did he know I wanted to go there? Or is it that he really _is_ dragging me down to see Rantaro, who just so happens to be in the game room?

I dig my feet into the tile to resist Kokichi's pull after the thought, stopping the teen so he looks back at me with a pout.

"Hey, you can't do that, it's cheating!" Kokichi huffs, clearly not actually irritated with me from what I can see.

"I don't want to see Rantaro," I object plainly, only to earn a dry look from Kokichi. He waves off my objections and starts dragging me along again, eventually prompting me to give up when I realize it's probably better to let what's about to happen run its course. Besides, the sooner I do, the sooner this urchin leaves me alone.

Kokichi pushes open the game room door to an interesting sight, pausing alongside me as we see that one girl sourly eyeing a table in the room where Rantaro and Kaede are seated- the blonde giggling as Rantaro carefully paints her nails.

"I-It tickles!" She laughs, very obviously lost in the appeal of Rantaro doing her nails- as well as his attention.

"Just hold still a little longer, almost done…" Rantaro replies with casual ease, hyper focused on her nails so much that he hardly- if at all- notices Kokichi's and my own arrival in the game room.

He's just here hanging with two of the other girls...painting some nails.

…!

 _Is he doing this to show he's as considerate and caring with the others to the same degree as he is with me? Did he ask Kokichi to bring me here so I'd see this? No, no...don't jump to any conclusions, he's probably just making friends- plain and simple. He's a friendly guy...when he's not being enigmatic to the others, according to Shuichi._

"Ooo~! Looks like Rantaro already replaced you with Kaede," Kokichi laughs brightly to me under his breath, shooting me a sly look and promptly asking, "You jealous?"

My cheeks warm in embarrassment, even though it's mostly embarrassment for him bluntly asking. Of course I'm not jealous! I'm mad at him right now, dumb Rantaro can talk with whoever he wants for whatever reason he wants. Even if I _was_ on good terms with him, I'm not his keeper and I don't care.

"...Nee-hee-hee! I'll assume that's a 'yes' since you're not answering me then. You don't want me to catch you lying, huh?" The purple leech comments, a playful but mischievous glint in his eyes.

My cheeks heat up more and I look somewhere else, using my free hand to fluff some of my hair up over my lower jaw. I hate hearing that- the last thing I want is to be reminded of when Rantaro commented I was jealous of his _sister,_ especially when I'm not _._ I'm not jealous of Kaede, either!

Kokichi only snickers more when I try to back out of the game room, only to be tugged back in by his hold on my wrist.

"Done! The idea is that when you paint your nails in two colors diagonally, it creates the look that your nails are longer," Rantaro explains, screwing the nail polish bottle closed as Kaede immediately eyes and fawns over her newly groomed nails.

"Wow! Rantaro, you really _do_ know how to make nails look so fancy and pretty!" The Ultimate Pianist gapes, smiling in obvious delight. When she casts him a doe eyed smile, I have to stifle the urge to roll my eyes.

It's not that I dislike Kaede, 'cause I don't. Quite the opposite actually- I like her and have nothing against her. It's just that right now she's looking at Rantaro like he's some kind of god that's risen out of the sea, and all _I_ can think of is the fact that he's keeping things from everyone. From _me._ Did he think I wouldn't notice after he asked what he did?

"...! Prairie and Kokichi! Look, look! Aren't my nails cute? Rantaro painted the diagonal part at the top and Ts-" Kaede begins, Rantaro seemingly brightening up more when he looks over my way. I can't help but give an unappreciative glare the green haired teen's way, making him awkwardly smile at me before I turn my gaze away to look around at the games in the game room.

 _Dumb Rantaro, quit looking happy to see me. The feeling's not mutual._

"Yeah, yeah, very cute- hey, listen! I wanna show you guys something really cool I just discovered!" Kokichi exclaims, dismissing Kaede's words in favor of once again bringing out that Spla-Teen Vogue magazine. I scoff and ignore Kokichi's grin of amusement my way, looking back only when he flips the magazine over cover-side up with the bikini girl in plain sight. With that annoying cocky grin of his, Kokichi slaps it down on the table between Kaede and Rantaro, allowing that blue haired girl to look over the blonde's shoulder.

"Kokichi, are you serious," Kaede growls, obviously irritated by the sight of the magazine just like I had been. No duh that any girl would detest a guy presenting an overly sexualized image of a model they're attracted to. My only question is why Kokichi is showing it like it's a shiny new toy...aren't those kinds of things supposed to be, I don't know, private? If anything, boys showing other boys- I guess I can see that as a possibility. But showing _girls?_ That's sort of odd.

"How uncouth!" That one girl gasps, looking away with red cheeks when I glance her way. "Why are you showing us this right in front of-"

"I'm getting to that!" Kokichi states, just as Rantaro stands up.

" _Kokichi,"_ Rantaro's tone has completely morphed, and I'm honestly surprised to see him appearing somewhat angry as I turn my head his way.

"No, wait! Here's the best part," Kokichi stops him, pulling my hand to make me focus on him. He's grinning like a shark, gesturing to the magazine. "Who's that, Prairie Dog?"

 _What? What does he mean, "who's that"? How should I know? I thought we went over me having amnesia!_

"Beats me, how should I know?" I respond, prompting the other three to gape at me quietly in visible shock and surprise. My eyes jump from that one girl, to Kaede, to Rantaro, and then finally back to Kokichi's grinning face for some kind of explanation. "What? A-Am I supposed to know her?"

Kokichi crosses his arms over his chest haughtily and turns his excited gaze to the other three, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. What is going _on?_ Why do I feel like I'm being left out of a loop?

I rest my eyes back on the magazine, once again trying to find something familiar about the model on the front cover. I don't see anything though, no matter how long I stare. What little I can remember- which is next to nothing- feels like it comes from someone I would probably recognize if I were to see them. this girl sparks no familiarity in my mind. Sure she sort of looks like me a little, at least in regards to the blue eyes and brown hair, but…

"You guys are making me nervous with those weird looks," I complain, eyes flicking to Kokichi's grinning face. "Especially _you."_

"Well...come to think of it, I haven't seen any mirrors other than the ones in our bathrooms," that unnamed girl comments much to my surprise. She's not implying what I think she is, is she? That's not me, I think I'd recognize myself if that were the case!

"No, that isn't me!" I object, making their eyes fly back to me as I mentally scrape my mind to remember my features and prove them wrong. I can feel my cheeks heat up as I look back at the girl with the bikini, feeling my stomach bubble more and more the longer my eyes study her. She's about my age- maybe too young to be featured in an obviously exploitative way such as this. There's a light layer of makeup on her besides that stupidly small light pink bikini, hair half up in a ponytail and baby pink platform heels that are _way_ too mature for her age. "I'd never wear something as _p-provocative_ as this!"

Kaede makes a noise, one that sets off my mental alarm bells as I look her way. Just like her, the blue haired girl also looks like she has something to say about my claim, the two girls sharing sympathetic and pained looks with one another as I await their responses apprehensively.

"Maybe you wouldn't _now,_ but before...this was pretty much normal and expected out of Perfect Blitz! You don't need to be so embarrassed, people love you!" Kaede tries to soften the blow, thought it doesn't quite do so if I'm to say anything about it. "In America where you come from, modeling like this mostly normal even for girls your age and such-"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see that one girl digging into her skirt pocket until I see her hand fishing out a pocket mirror. Inexplicably, my heart jumps at the sight of it and my entire body tenses up with anxiety. Just as she goes to bring it up to me, my arm whips out and I swat the thing straight out of her hands- sending the mirror flying with a squeak. As Everyone watches the trajectory of the mirror, and right when it hits the floor a couple feet away, I find myself staring wordlessly back at the other four ultimates with similar sentiments of surprise at my audacious and unexpected reaction.

Needless to say, if I was panicking when I saw that mirror, I'm definitely panicking now.

"I-I mean, I don't even like you anyways!" I blurt out at the blue haired girl while everyone's still flabbergasted. I can practically hear a buzzard in my head signifying me making a incorrect social move by saying that. "Who asked you for a mirror?! _I_ didn't!"

Another buzzard noise rings in my mentality as I look to the magazine on the table and snatch it up while everyone absorbs my shocking attitude from my panic.

"Um, d-don't try talking to me anymore! Have a nice day?!" I throw out in my panic, yet another buzzard going off in my mind as I turn tail and run out of the game room with Kokichi at my heels snickering like mad as we speed away. " _Hyeee, I'M SORRY!"_

"P-Prairie!" I hear Rantaro call out, obviously concerned by my behavior. I ignore him as I climb the stairs, only looking back at Kokichi when we reach the first floor.

"Don't follow me, you rat!" I irritably bark as we continue up to the second floor. Despite my orders, Kokichi follows me regardless with that bright grin of his.

"But being around you isn't boring! Plus, I don't wanna stay around Run-turdo and his girlfriends! Do I look like the type that wants my nails painted?" Kokichi laughs, right before suddenly grabbing my wrist and swinging me unexpectedly towards that classroom I'd been in earlier.

"They're not his girlfriends!" I snap, only feeling my cheeks heat up as he yanks me in and locks the door behind us with the key that's hanging by the door. Kokichi appears delighted by my outburst, which is definitely not a good thing.

"I knew you were jealous. But besides that…" Kokichi chuckles, turning to pocket the key right in front of me.

It isn't until I see this that my initial shock from my panicked attitude settles, switching to mild discomfort when I realize that Kokichi's basically just locked me in a room with him. How did I fail to notice him herd me in here? Was he planning this the moment I started panicking? Or was he planning it since Miu left me on my own to work on the climbing gear?

Kokichi laughs when he notices me visibly tense up- like he knows I've just noticed the situation he's put me in.

"The magazine was supposed to embarrass you and make you panic earlier, but I guess that little scene downstairs works too. Let's talk! Just you and me~! These are my favorite moments, you know? I like you," Kokichi chirps, while I squint at him and scrunch my nose. Those little comments at the end _have_ to be lies…

…

"You don't have to lock me in a freaking room to make me talk, you psychotic clown," I huff moodily, followed by him raising his eyebrows at me and responding with, "And yet earlier when I said, 'Hey, Prairie Dog', you gave me the silent treatment. You wouldn't even talk with Rantaro unless he did the same, so! _Nooo_ complaining!"

I glare at him by take a seat on one of the desks moodily. I think I hate the fact that he's caught my lie more than I hate being interrogated again. It's not my fault he's so unlikable.

"What do you want?"

Kokichi grins, thought this time his smile splits in a sinister manner, violet eyes glued to me like laser points of a weapon.

"First, let's talk about you and your goodie-goodie, _buddy-buddy_ friendship with the red monokub. That sound good, Prairie Dog?"

All of a sudden, I'm starting to realize this meeting with Kokichi is _not_ going to go the same way as the other meetings I've had with him. There's some obvious hostility behind his grin of the likes that I've never seen, aimed at me unlike his usual bantering and slightly dangerous jokes. Even though he's smiling, he's _not_ joking.

 _I didn't tell Shuichi about what happened with Monotaro and I won't tell Kokichi either...even if he does end up completely losing faith in me. I'm not throwing anyone under the bus for my own benefit._

 _Not today, not tomorrow._

 _ **End of 2.7 - Celebrity Status**_

* * *

 _ **A/Ns:**_

 _To Guest: Secrets are the pinnacle of healthy and stable relationships! uwu ~_

 _lolol, jk of course not but it'll be super fun watching secrets pour out later on between the cast- or at least those that don't get murdured. Also, let's start a Monotaro protection squad so Monokuma doesn't blow him up into smithereens ;o; !_


	20. 2:8 - Mary-Sue

**_2.8 - Mary-Sue_**

"So what? You saw me pet Monotaro and that's just a terrible thing? It was just a little pet," I carefully answer, sitting cross legged on the desk and looking at the magazine on my lap that I still have in my possession. I don't know exactly what Kokichi's seen or figured out regarding Monotaro, but he must have taken it as outright incriminating if he's confronting me about it like this. "Being a little nice never hurt anybody, it's not like I signed a contract with the monokubs or anything...besides, what if he's able to help us and-"

"You can't _seriously_ be that naive, Prairie Dog. After everything, I thought you had bigger brains than that. Do I need to remind you what happened on day one? The fact that they're all hell bent on having us kill each other? Do we need to stroll on by your room to see the pretty art they've probably made now that your room plaque was cleaned off by Kirumi again?" Kokichi accuses, his expression a deadpan of disbelief. I'm not even sure if he's expressing his true emotions or if it's just another mask of his- but I let him get his thoughts off of his chest before I make a response. "But _nooo,_ I guess if a monokub is about to kick the bucket, we ought to prolong its presence so it can continue to torture us! Well, you know...unless you're pretending to be on our side when you're really not."

I frown, ducking my head a little since I know I don't have a bone in my body capable of letting even an AI like the monokubs- any of them- to be destroyed if I have the ability to do something about it. They're sentient and sapient too, it _changes_ things. That doesn't mean I'm not trying to get us out of here though, especially when I definitely harbor no sympathies for Monokuma himself.

"I'm not pretending _anything_ , I just can't help it," I admit, only to jump in surprise when Kokichi snatches the magazine off of my lap and starts flipping through the pages. Eventually, he stops on an article with yet another bikini modeling shot of that brown haired girl that's supposedly me- my stomach churning when he points at something on the thigh of the model.

"First of all, nice strawberry birthmark. Second, read it and weep!" Kokichi exclaims as he holds it up for me to see, causing a red hue to coat my cheeks at the sight of the familiar birthmark- smack dab in the same place on the model's thigh as it is on mine.

Half horrified of this find, I force myself to read the block of text on the next page beside the photo.

 _'_ _Superstar Perfect Blitz, still as stone cold as ever despite having the face as sweet as an ice cream sundae! News has broken recently the worldwide child star is long gone- Blitz having been caught by tabloids during one of her party raves in the city cheating on her boyfriend, with her supposed best friend's partner no less! Aika Mirai has made no comment on the matter as of writing this, but Blitz has commented on social media, "[Aika] is my best friend and she wouldn't be bothered by something as measly as this. It's literally no big deal."'_

 _'_ _Unfortunately, both Blitz's own boyfriend and Aika's have both denounced Blitz's flippant regards of the matter, despite both boys already being under social media fire for other unrelated reasons on top of this. As it appears, America's naughty little angel is once again unconcerned by public judgement, people calling this instance proof that Perfect Blitz willingly "goes through friends like tissues", to quote one user on Chirper.'_

"What the-" I start to mumble in disbelief, before cuts me off to start speaking again.

"That's who you are, Mousey. You're a backstabber and you're proud of it. I'll bet all my money that the little act you've been playing is exactly that. You're self-sacrificing nature? Fake. Your facade about being a bad liar and this demure soft persona? Also fake. You can play everyone else, but I won't let you play me," Kokichi elaborates as I look to him in confusion. I put the magazine back down, closing it and setting it on a desk with the cover face-down.

"So wait...y-you also think I'm pretending about not remembering my past and that everything I've done thus far is me lying too?" I question, causing Kokichi to sort of smirk at my words.

"Maybe you did forget. Don't know, don't care! Either way, the difference between you and the person you used to be shouldn't be this drastic unless you're pretending to be a marshmallow. Even if you _do_ have amnesia- your personality shouldn't have changed this much. You're like a completely different person. And considering your true nature, how am I supposed to be sure you aren't making deals with Monokuma and his off-brand kubs behind our backs?" Kokichi points out much to my frustration, grinning as if he wasn't accusing me of being a two faced traitor among them. Is he really getting a kick out of this?

"I'm not! You can't seriously be thinking my lying, do I look like I made everything up? Do I really look like a liar to you?" I push, standing up from the desk to look him in the eye as he examines my features.

…

"You look like a _very_ talented liar."

I half gape at him, not quite sure what to do if he can't tell I'm telling the truth- or _refuses_ to believe I'm telling the truth. So much for his claims to be able to tell when someone is lying- I assumed that also went towards being able to tell when someone was _truthing_ too, but I was obviously wrong about that.

 _I probably can't change his mind either...especially with whatever logic he's adopted regarding amnesiacs. When did he even find this magazine? When did he learn just how much of a terrible person I used to be? He wasn't acting like this last night or while we were eating in the dining hall...maybe he found the magazine while Shuichi was questioning me?_

He obviously isn't giving me any chance to win his trust back. If anything, he's outright telling me he _doesn't_ trust me at all and nothing I say or do will get him to trust me.

Which probably means I can't trust him now either.

"I'm honestly regretting ever saying anything to Monokuma to stop him from punishing you. You're probably gonna get the rest of us killed. Or maybe...you're even planning a murder. Maybe Rantaro's?" Kokichi darkly contends, violet eyes narrowed on me for a reaction as his grin widens slightly. Of course he'd still enjoy pushing my buttons even now...jerk.

"Translation: you would prefer me dead. On just a hunch," I state, prompting him to laugh at my snappy tone.

"No, it's not a hunch! I'm definitely sure you're a liar only interested in saving your own skin," Kokichi reaffirms clearly, ever the upbeat one as I quietly seethe from where I am.

There's a hundred things I would like to say and do in response to Kokichi's stupidity- things Rantaro would definitely not approve of. That is, until I realize something.

 _Kokichi's not stupid. He's not the type that would just fall for anything- so why would he choose to outright take a magazine as fact anyways? Even_ _ **I**_ _don't know what else happened that led to the instance described in that magazine gossip. Plus, I already told Kokichi I was a terrible person pre-amnesia._

 _...Is Kokichi the one lying here?_

I let out a soft breath, feeling all the wound up tension in my body relax as I come to peace with the fact that when it comes to Kokichi, I can't be sure of anything- but I might be on the right track if he's lying about this entire conversation. What would accusing me of being untrustworthy and antagonizing me give him an advantage of? Making me fight harder to get us out? All he's doing is pushing me away even more, especially when I thought I was actually covering some ground (as little of ground as it is) in somewhat trusting him.

...Maybe that's it. Maybe I was getting too close for his taste. Maybe he just doesn't like me.

 _Well, if he doesn't want me to be around him, that can be arranged. Why does his approval matter to me anyways? It never did to begin with. He's not obligated to like me. I don't need to be concerned about this._

"Is that all you brought me in here to tell me? ...If you don't like me, all you had to do was say it- not lie about how you don't trust me and _why_ you don't trust me. Everything you've based your claims on is total crap," I huff, putting my hands on my hips irritably as I narrow my blue eyes back at him. Kokichi looks undeterred, smirking in an almost patronizing way that makes my arm twitch with the urge to punch him.

"How sure _are_ you that I don't actually mean everything I've said?" Kokichi purrs, visibly amused by my efforts to figure him out.

"Because saying all that wouldn't benefit you if you wanted to know about Monotaro. I definitely wouldn't tell you anything about it after those accusations. And besides, what would you even do with the information? Tell everyone? That's not going to help you achieve anything…" I muse thoughtfully, eyeing Kokichi's fox-like attitude inquisitively. "We'd all still be stuck here whether I told you about Monotaro or not."

Kokichi doesn't answer or give any hints, just watching me casually as I try to figure him out. Maybe I can push his buttons and see how _he_ reacts? Or would that be a bad idea? He does it to _me_ all the time…

"On the other hand, I guess you could be telling me all this as a sort of last word before you kill me right now. Deals with the problem of not trusting me and gets you out of this killing game without sacrificing anyone else," I point out, before recalling a figure of speech I like in the back of my mind and adding seriously, "Feeds two birds with one bread ball!"

As soon as those words leave my mouth, Kokichi squints and gapes at me- much unlike the smug mask he's been wearing throughout the duration of our conversation. Bemused, I stop talking to give the other ultimate a puzzled stare. Why's he suddenly so quiet? I'm just making educated guesses for why he dragged me in here- if the reason isn't to make me hate him so I leave him alone. Him being quiet doesn't help my case!

Kokichi continues to stare at me, up until the point he sputters with laughter and nearly keels over holding his belly. For a second I'm totally unsure of what's going on. What's so funny about…

I replay my last words and the analogy I'd used in my head, feeling my cheeks start to heat up as I register what he's laughing about.

Frustrated and not at all appreciative of his laughter at my statement, especially when I was being serious, I make an effort to resist covering my red face with my hair.

"W-What the hell is _that?"_ Kokichi still laughs, thought he straightens up a little to meet my totally flushed face as he catches his breath. "It's _'kill_ two birds with one _stone'?!"_

I pout sourly, biting my inner cheek before grumbling out a response I think might only set him off even more. "I hate that. It's unnecessarily violent and shouldn't be a figure of speech. I think feeding birds is nicer than killing them."

When Kokichi starts laughing even harder, if it was possible, I finally cave in and grab my hair to cover my face as I march on over to one of the classroom lockers past him. He's still laughing by the time I slam the locker door shut, prompting me to lean my shoulder against the side of the cool metal wall. I'm ignoring him again and that's final.

I can hear when the violet spawn of Satan calms down enough to catch his breath and relax, my face no longer red as I too relax in my safe haven within this locker. I don't feel like coming out and dealing with him though, so I play with the end of my hair to pass time. Hopefully he's gotten bored enough to go away and open the door...you know, so _I_ can leave too.

 _What he leaves but locks me in here as a joke? He better not._

Rather, the locker door opens and light spills inside of my sanctuary, illuminating Kokichi's annoying face as he sighs in amusement and grins my way.

"...the _worst_ hide and seek player," he comments with a helpless laugh, making me narrow my eyes. The teen says nothing else for a moment, so I push gently off the side of the locker...and turn to give him my back out of enmity. "Hey, I'm still talking to you, young lady!"

I don't even roll my eyes, instead just resting my head against the cool metal. What more does he want? I thought he was riling me up so I leave him alone. I'm doing that. Why is he being so pushy?

I turn back to face him and lunge a step forward, making him take bounce a step back with a grin- until he looks to realize I wasn't aiming for him when I grab hold of the locker door and shut it once more. I hear him laugh on the other side, jumping back to the locker though making no attempt to open it back up.

"Sorry I was meeeaan earlier! I just wanted to see if you were as dumb as Gonta, you know? But you're actually really brainy, which sucks. How am I supposed to get you to do my bidding if you're not as gullible as he is?!" Kokichi demands with a childish huff, one that sounds like he's mimicking me out of mockery.

I open my mouth to snap at him, but then close it. Nope, it's better to ignore him. What's that about Gonta though? Oh, I'm definitely gonna make sure Kokichi gets ZERO time with Gonta, he's not a toy!

"Oh wait." My heart scrunches up in my chest at the sound of him pretending to remember something. He's not about to say what I think he's gonna say, is he? "I almost forgot! You think I'm cute, clever, and charismatic! So you'd _definitely_ do anything for me, riiiight?"

"I didn't mean any of that and you know it!" I finally bark from inside the locker, only for Kokichi to unexpectedly whip open the locker door so that I nearly bang my head against the back of the metal wall from the startle.

"Sure you did!" He chirps, suddenly stepping into the locker and making me squeak in horror when I realize he's about to invade my personal space again. "Aww, see? Prairie Dog's getting all red and flustered again~"

"BECAUSE I HATE YOU AND I HATE THIS!" I snap, fire igniting as I boldly slap my hand against his face and waste no time pushing his cackling figure out of my locker. "Go away, you urchin!"

I slam the door shut on his face once more, hearing Kokichi dramatically sigh in what is obvious discouragement.

"Nngh, you're such a spoilsport...it's not like I'm gonna _do_ anything to you. I would never, believe me! I'm telling the truth!" He claims, to which I respond, "I don't care if you're telling the truth, _rat!_ I'm sick and tired of seeing your stupid face and having my chain yanked!"

"Well, that part about my stupid face is definitely a lie...but if that's what you want, that's what you want. I'll leave you alone then," I hear Kokichi mope dramatically.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I want, drama queen. If you wanna talk to me again, you're gonna have to wait one business day," I growl, glaring at the closed locker door and crossing my arms as I moodily puff up my cheeks.

Kokichi chuckles but I hear his footsteps moving away from the locker, crossing the classroom casually to get to the door out of the room. As soon as I hear the door being unlocked, I finally open the locker door and peek out- ready for the joy of sweet freedom from Kokichi's clutches. Looking at the door though, I'm just in time to watch Kokichi shoot me an outright devilish grin of mischief as he slams the door shut- followed by the telltale click of the lock as I speed on over to the door and try to open it.

"Are you kidding me?" I call out when the knob holds fast, my dry complaint answered by Kokichi's laugh.

"Hey, Mousey-mouse? Just so we're on the same page, _I was telling the truth when I said I don't trust you._ For different reasons than what I dropped already, mind you. Toodles~!"

I can hear Kokichi running down the hall already, so he's no doubt coming back. That's that then, huh? He just wanted to poke and prod at me to see what else makes me tick...so that it's easier to manipulate me? Yet he still meant it when he said he doesn't trust me- but in that case, _why_ doesn't he? He said it has nothing to do with what he'd brought up earlier…

 _Thinking about it now likely won't do me any good. I can make a million guesses with only one right answer, so it's better if I worry about it when I can try and get Kokichi to tell me what it is about me that makes me so untrustworthy._

When I look back at the hook by the door in hopes maybe there's a second key, my hopes die and I turn to drift towards the desk where I'd left that magazine. Sure, there's an article about me, Perfect Blitz, in it, but that doesn't mean the model is _me_ though. Right? It's probably just a coincidence we have such similar birthmarks!

…

No, it's probably me. There's no point denying it.

 _What was I thinking letting people photograph me in a bikini as small as this? Just knowing people all over the world have seen this much of me- possibly multiple times- makes my stomach roll…_

Frowning, I don't even notice I've ripped the cover of the magazine off until I'm halfway through ripping my modeling picture to pieces, dropping the shredded contents in a waste basket near the door before I go through the rest of the magazine in search of more embarrassing photos to destroy. Once I get to the article and second image of myself, I rip out the pages- tearing up the photo but keeping the snippet of text about that cheating scandal.

I may not like who I was before this fiasco, but I can't ignore the fact that it's still me. Maybe I'll find answers that will help us if I understand myself...and if I'm lucky, answers about my intuition.

As I finish going through the magazine and find nothing of interest, I toss the infernal thing on a desk and sit down after to stuff the folded snippet in my pocket. I wonder why I forgot everything...maybe something horrible happened and I blocked my memories of it entirely? Who knows.

The sound of the door unlocking makes me sit up a little as I look to see who would walk through that door. Rantaro? Shuichi or Kiibo? Or maybe Kokichi's decided to come back and show some mercy for once in his life?

 _"_ _Ow!_ dumb root," I hear a female voice huff, right before Kaede Akamatsu steps in shaking part of a thin gangly vine off of her left foot. Once in, she looks around and eventually sets her lilac pink eyes on me with a smile of relief. "Oh, there you are. Kokichi tossed me this key coming down the stairs saying he'd dumped your body in here...I mean, not that I believed it, but I couldn't help but worry a little."

I laugh humorlessly, nodding in agreement. "I don't think he's bad, but he definitely has trust issues...he was trying to work me up and I still have no idea why. He said it was to 'see if I was dumb so I could do his bidding', but I think he's doing it for some other reason. He also said he doesn't trust me. I-I swear, Kokichi is all over the place and although I can't see what he's trying to get at, I'll figure it out eventually. There's a method in his madness, and I'm gonna find it so I can use it against him!" I huff, joining Kaede's side as she watches me with a resigned smile of amusement.

"You're really wanna get back at him, huh?" Kaede asks curiously, following me out of the room and making sure to avoid that vine that had caught her sock upon entering. I grin and look back at her, though my smile is a little somber now as I finger the snippet from the magazine in my pocket.

"Yeah. Although he unfortunately has more ammo on me than I have on him. That magazine he had featured an article about me apparently as a backstabber."

Kaede freezes and looks up at me, visibly speechless by my confession. I observe her reaction for a beat of a second before the reason for her expression suddenly clicks in my head. Embarrassed, I half gasp and wave my hands a little in panic as a flood of heat rushes to my face.

"N-Not _that_ kind, I'm not literally stabbing people in the backs, Kaede!" I blurt out, half horrified she'd even remotely consider it to be within the realm of possibility. "I was _that_ bad as a celebrity that you'd think I'd assault someone? ...O-Or have I actually-"

At the start of my rising panic, Kaede cuts me off. "No! It...it just caught me off guard. Sorry, I swear I wasn't implying anything by that. Trust me, you've been in plenty of celebrity scandals, but you're not a murderer or even remotely close to one! At one of your concerts, you even stopped a fight that had started in the crowd and-"

I stop in my tracks and give Kaede the most outlandish look in my arsenal, prompting the blonde to pause as well upon seeing my expression.

 _'_ _Concert'? What does she mean by concert? A climbing one? A modeling one…? Can those kinds of things be concerts?_

"Prairie...you forgot you're a singer too, didn't you?" Kaede eventually responds, much to my inherent shock. Half of me wonders if I've stepped into the twilight zone, but after a few seconds of no change in Kaede's demeanor and no sudden laughter or claims of 'just kidding', I come to the quiet realization Kaede is dead serious. After all, why _would_ she joke around about that? That's Kokichi's thing.

"...I'm sorry, l-let me get this straight...I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber," I comment, watching Kaede nod. "I'm known around the world for free-soloing ridiculously high and precarious rock faces and I'm a model for reputable bougie brands on magazines." More nodding on Kaede's end.

I don't like where this is going.

"I'm a scandalous drama inciter and I also... _sing._ In concerts. Adding more to my fame basically."

"You're also a great actress and a-" Kaede adds, causing me to garble loudly to quiet her next words. She falls silent, as if noticing my total discomfort as I try to digest these new downright ridiculous revelations.

…

"So in other words, I'm a Mary-sue and I don't actually exist, okay- gotcha," I respond, scratching at my head as if to claw the news out of my cranium. This is ridiculous. No way any of that is true, maybe it's just in magazines or something, right? Just fake gossip?

"No, Prairie, you're just naturally talented in a lot of different things! I mean, you're not the ultimate singer or actor, you can just _do_ those things, but you're definitely the Ultimate Rock Climber! Ultimates aren't limited to just their one ultimate talent, you know?" Kaede explains, reaching over to plop the key she still has in my hand.

"I-I'm _unrealistic._ They probably auto-tune my voice in music and CGI my face in movies to make it look like I can do those things," I dismiss her claims, watching Kaede laugh in disagreement. "Don't even try to use concerts as proof- I present to you _'lip syncing'."_

Kaede giggles even more, this time in honest amusement at the way I'm criticizing myself and obviously trying to discredit my history.

"Okay then, if you say so. What about acting in live theaters for plays? You did _that_ too" Kaede adds, watching as I lift a finger...and then lower it when I can't come up with anything. There's no way though- I refuse to believe I'm somehow _multi_ talented- that sort of thing only happens in fiction. I'm no Mary-sue.

 _You're not. You're also a backstabber, a cheater, a bitch, and apparently an exhibitionist on top of everything. Remember?_

I sigh after a second, running a hand down my face in exasperation.

"...I know you're having a rough time understanding your past, what with being on the wild side, but I don't think you should focus on just your scandals. Perfect Blitz was still good despite your jaded and sometimes hubristic outlook. As a genuine fan, I can say you helped a lot of people with your fame. You still did your best to give back to a lot of us- and you really are an inspiration for a good reason. Try and focus on that, yeah? Magazine articles like _this_ don't define you and are usually biased. They only focus on negative things- and don't know how to balance good press with bad press," Kaede explains, reaching over to fish out the snippet I'd folded and had sticking out of my pocket.

I can't bring myself to snatch it out of her hands. Instead, I just watch her skim the material and eventually smile my way warmly.

"By the way, you and your best friend planned this fiasco because you caught both your boyfriends cheating. You and Aika never really cared about public judgement, so you guys concocted this scandal to snub those boys' reputations completely. You didn't stab anyone in the back, and those boys deserved it if you ask me. Hardly affected yours and Aika's reputation since the two of you were still close in the eyes of the press following the issue," Kaede snickers, right before tucking the snippet back in my pocket and clapping her hands together. Her eyes light up and she seems to get lost in thought, prompting me to smile a little at the look she harbors.

"What is it?" I ask curiously, eager to hear her thoughts. Admittedly, hearing her words really sort of makes me feel better about my messy past.

"Your antics with Aika...you two were so mischievous- it reminds me of the quirky first movement of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!" Kaede pretty much swoons, to which I squint and try to figure out why she's suddenly bringing up classical music.

"Huh?" I ask cluelessly.

Kaede glances my way, grinning wider as she explains with an impassioned look in her eyes, "You know, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? The composer?" Kaede explains, undeterred by my confusion. "The Serenade Allegro in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!"

 _She thinks classical music is common knowledge? Maybe composer names are, but song names not so much. But besides that…_

"But isn't that an orchestral piece and _not_ a piano piece?" I question, watching Kaede laugh and straighten up proudly.

" _I_ can play it on the piano," she mildly gloats in a good-natured manner, managing to summon a smile on my face at how sure of herself she says it.

"I-I'd love to hear you play sometime. The piano is such a pretty sounding thing...hey, how long have you been playing anyways?" I continue the conversation, following at Kaede's side as we continue to head for the stairs.

"Since I was pretty much a baby. I couldn't live a day without playing," Kaede laughs, before looking at me with a huge smile. "Hey! When we get out of here, I'll teach you how to play! Haha, it'll add to your list of skills you already have."

My cheeks stain red at the reminder of my apparent talents and her proposition, giving me the mind to gently let her down on the offer until a thought makes itself known in my mind. An intriguing thought at that.

 _What if my intuition has to do with gathering information…? And being able to process even the smallest or largest of assets helps me learn things quickly? Maybe it's how I'm so good at all of those things?_

"...I'd like that," I concede, surprising Kaede as we reach the stairwell when I stop to give her a warm hug. She hesitates for only a moment before she makes an endeared noise and returns the hug with equal affection. "Thank you for making me feel better after Kokichi tried to stomp all over me."

"Oh, I don't mind! Although, why would he lock you in a room anyways? That's kind of weird," Kaede comments, prompting me to let go of her as red seeps into my cheeks and I look away with an awkward laugh.

"That's cause I was ignoring him in the beginning...I-I thought I could bore him into bothering someone else, but obviously it backfired. As soon as he got me panicking about that magazine with you and Rantaro in the game room, he pretty much herded me into that room to make sure I'd talk to him. W-What a rat…"

Kaede's laugh immediately lifts my spirit, but rather than go down to the first floor just yet, we lean back against one of the walls and relax for a moment. It's actually really refreshing hanging out with her, she's so...normal. It's nice to be around someone that isn't as eccentric as the others.

 _Reminds me of when I'm around Rantaro._

I quickly shake that thought out of my head.

"Hey, can I ask you something? Nothing that has to do with the killing game, I promise. I figure that if you're able to tell us anything important, you would," Kaede says with a smile, kicking lightly at a little dandelion that's sprouted between some tiles as I manage a nod on my part. "Why don't you like Tsumugi?"

"Tsu-who?" I ask dismissively, before my brain makes the connection and I let out a small humorless laugh. "Oh. Her."

 _Can my answer just be, 'cause I just don't? Or do I need a logical reason? Well at least now I know her name. Now I won't need to refer to her in my head as, "that girl" anymore._

"I don't like her. She was rude when I first tried to introduce myself and she wasted my time," I respond after a moment, feeling my cheeks tint a little red at the way I justify my dislike of her. Now that I'm hearing myself out loud, I sound _super_ petty...not that it'll change my mind about Tsumugi

"Ah, I'm guessing she ignored you too then, huh?"

I look up at her and cock my head to the side. So it wasn't just me- she ignored Kaede too! Rude.

"She didn't mean anything by ignoring us, honest. It took both Shuichi and I poking her face before she finally answered us when we found her," Kaede defends the blue haired girl not among us with a smile, though she eventually seems to realize my mind is already made up on Tsumugi- likely due to my dry expression. "You...don't care about her intentions, do you? You're still gonna hold a grudge on her?"

"...Yep. I don't want anything to do with her and nothing you say will change my mind. Sorry," I admit, prompting Kaede to evidently nod. "Speaking of not liking people though...earlier Kaito mentioned that everyone ganged up on you. What happened while I was out?"

"Um...I tried to rally everyone together to get us out through a potential exit on the first day. I got a bit too pushy and some of them are still upset with me over it. I-I don't blame them or anything. The tunnel is sort of impossible to get through and dangerous on top of that. It's booby-trapped from start to finish, we think," Kaede sighs, looking away in discomfort.

 _They found a potential exit and no one bothered to let me know about it till now?_

My brain focuses on this unnamed exit, but I push my thoughts on it aside to instead rub Kaede's shoulder sympathetically.

"Well, I'm sure you meant well," I console her, prompting a mildly sober but optimistic smile to appear on her face. "Don't worry, they can't hold a grudge against you forever. You're too nice for people to dislike you."

Kaede's expression shifts to surprise and she presses a hand over her mouth as a flattered laugh escapes her.

"Prairie, what a sweet thing to say! ...Um, you know, Rantaro and Kirumi actually asked most of us not to mention the fake exit to you. It seems they're convinced you might do something reckless, so promise you won't go looking for it? Please believe me when I say it's hopeless, there's really no reason to try going through it anymore," Kaede asks, eyes pleading as she takes my hand in hers.

…

"Alright. I won't," I answer, knowing full well I don't intend to keep my word...and dodging the promise with a warm, pleasant smile that distracts Kaede enough to eventually release my hand. She's much too trusting...I feel bad I'm going to betray that trust later when I look for that exit she was talking about. "I think I'm gonna actually use my time to look around the basement for now. Weird question: Rantaro's not down there anymore, right?"

Kaede grins again, though she's unable to resist a glance down at her nails at the mention of him again. "Um, no, I don't think so...but you'll probably have to pass him on the way down the stairs."

I let out a huff of offense. "Dang it. Gah, whatever, I'm still going. If he stops me or tries to, I'll smack him around a little or someth...what's that weird look for?"

The Ultimate Pianist rubs her hands together like a raccoon, cheeks flushing slightly red as she asks, "H-How are you able to be around him so much like that? I mean...doesn't he make you a little nervous?"

Confused, I purse my lips and frown. Is she scared of him since he's "enigmatic" or whatever to everyone else? Does she think I ought to be wary of him? Sheesh, I'm peeved at him right now, but that doesn't mean I think he's dangerous.

"I know he's sorta 'mysterious' in a _ooo-woo enigma man_ type of way, but other than him getting on _my_ nerves, I promise he isn't dangerous or anything like that," I reassure her, only to frown in more confusion when she shakes her head and laughs.

"No, no! I don't think he's dangerous either. I just, um...I mean, I'm just surprised someone who's nervous around boys like you can handle being around the best looking guy here. Like haven't you noticed how handsome-" Kaede starts until she notices my face start to burn a cherry red shade, prompting her to cut herself off with an awkward smile to instead continue with, "Let me guess, I shouldn't have brought it up and now you're not okay because you're thinking about it."

I nod, my face practically hot enough to be a furnace.

"Whoops. Sorry about that…" She adds, though it looks like she too is thinking about it since she blushes and looks at her nails some more with a shy smile.

"God, I hate him," I growl, biting on my own nails freely with no one to reprimand me. "I-It should be illegal to have a face like his."

I sigh as Kaede snickers, the blonde half turning towards the stairwell to begin descending down.

"I'll see you later, Kaede. Stay hydrated~" I chirp, trying to regain the reigns of my jittery emotions as I watch Kaede head down.

"See ya!" She responds, ever the ray of sunshine as she turns away to find something else to do outdoors. There's a bit of a pause in her step before she turns to look at me again, suddenly appearing guilty as if she's just remembered something less than favorable. "Um, one more thing. I might have told Rantaro something to help him get you to, uh, talk to him. Nothing bad, but...don't look at him when you pass him down the stairwell, okay? Trust me on this."

"Unsurprising...he really needs to give up already," I answer as she continues down, leaving me to my own thoughts.

 _What did she tell him? And why is he still trying to be on my good side? I thought he understood he can't force me to like him…especially since he's hiding something from the rest of us._

Not that I know whether Monokuma is threatening him to keep quiet like he's threatening me though...and come to think of it, I have secrets of my own I'm not sharing as well- that being an elaborate explanation about Monotaro. I let extra information of it slip to Kokichi, but Rantaro doesn't know about it for the most part. To him, it probably just looks like I was protecting Monotaro for no reason.

After a couple of minutes of trying to rationalize my irrational irritation with Rantaro, I eventually let out a breath and stop stalling the inevitable. I head down the stairs to the first floor.

 _Just don't look at him, like Kaede told me...now that I think about it, I could have tried asking her that question I asked Shuichi. Then again, if Shuichi was unwilling to share it with me, Kaede would have wither avoided it too, or declined answering as well._

 _Besides that nonsense though, I need to find this potential exit Kaede was talking about. Booby-trapped or not, I might be able to-_

"Prairie."

The familiar deep velvet voice calls my attention with such casual ease that due to being lost in my thoughts, I look up.

I shouldn't have. I'm already kicking myself for it when I see Rantaro leaning by a wall with a pleasant, relaxed smile. There's something in the hand of this teen with the disastrous face, something he tosses up and down as if it were just _any_ mundane thing to be handled with disrespect.

That _thing…_ is a round, delicious looking ripened nectarine.

Just like that, my breath catches in my throat and the world stops around me. It's almost like a missing puzzle piece returning to my bland, boring life as I look upon it- turning my monochrome world to one of vibrant color. I can practically already _taste_ the delicious fruit in his-

"You want it?" Rantaro asks, suddenly much closer than he was before. It isn't until I realize the reason I'm closer is because I've drifted over on my own accord in my entrancement with the fruit he has.

I jump back and give him a foul look, feeling my cheeks heat up _before_ I've even uttered the lie.

 _"_ _No!_ N-Nectarines are gross! Nice try," I snap, trying not to look at the sacred fruit he holds in his hand. Rantaro, still smiling, nods a little in understanding. Then he cocks his head to the side and reaches out to wipe a wetness I'm mortified to realize has dribbled slightly out of the corner of my mouth.

"So I presume you're drooling because you're absolutely disgusted. Right?" Rantaro inquires, visibly amused.

…

I don't even respond, instead turning and making a break back to stairwell quickly before I say something I'll regret- like forgiving him just to get my hands on the juicy, sweet ambrosia of a treat he's trying to bribe my favor with. Once I reach the stairs, I pause and look back longingly, only to shoot the relaxed, smiling degenerate an indignant look when he gives me a casual wave where I've left him.

I continue down the stairs at that and shake the nectarine Rantaro has out of my head to focus on whatever I was going to the basement for. I won't let that nectarine he has distract me!

I absolutely won't!

... _What was I coming down here f- oh right. Testing my intuition._

 _ **End of 2.8 - Mary-Sue**_

* * *

 _ **A/Ns:**_

 _Originally, Kokichi was going to outright tell Prairie he doesn't trust her and mean what he said indefinitely, but I thought it was too straightforward for him and made his words and actions more convoluted- as well as changed what the goal of this encounter was for him so it's not **just**_ _that he doesn't trust her._

 _Plus, I want him to be as much of a puzzle as he was in the V3 game, and that means I gotta try and misguide the readers with his words too._

 _His confusing way of manipulating people truly is mad, and writing it drove me insane- which is why it took me so long to get this out._

 _I_ _probably screwed it up anyways, bUt I dId My BeSt ;w;_


	21. 2:9 - A Prize For A Price

**_2.9 - A Prize For A Prize_**

Ten minutes later and all I can think about is that stupid fruit- so much so that I can't focus on any of the tests I've attempted because my thought process always u-turns back to Rantaro's nectarine. It's totally and obviously a trap. The nerve of that guy...

 _Where the heck did he even get it? I don't see any fruit trees around here and I could have sworn I didn't see any in the kitchen._

About an hour later, it becomes glaringly obvious I'm not going to be able to focus on anything if I don't get my hands on the nectarine Rantaro has. Until the fruit was put in my line of sight, I'd had no idea just how much I loved the taste of it- one that is still burnt fresh in my mind despite the fact that I can't actually name the last time I'd even had one. Now that I'm thinking of the fruit and aware of the memory of its flavor however, I can't get it out of my head.

Staring at every game I tried, I was subconsciously drooling. Sometimes I'd forget to close my eyes and even when I did, the only thing I'd see were images of the nectarine I'd abandoned with that smiling heathen. It's a pretty frustrating issue...

But I have a solution! One that needs no interaction with Rantaro, at that.

I'll just find a nectarine of my own! He had to get it from somewhere, he didn't just pull it out of thin air. And since it's a food item, it's likely that it came from the kitchen and I just missed it when I examined the area before.

 _I'm gonna get myself a nectarine without_ _Rantaro's_ _help, and that's that. I won't let him hold anything over me!_

I climb back up the stairs two at a time, trying to appear composed and undeterred by Rantaro's presence in the first floor hall. He's still got that nectarine at hand, but now he seems to be relaxing with a book. I can't tell what book it is, and when I realize I'm looking at him like I told myself I _wouldn't,_ I turn my head away swiftly to continue my way to the kitchen. Good thing he didn't notice.

"Your face is much UGLIER than usual, UGLY!" Monokid blurts out, standing on the dining hall table with another new cardboard guitar at hand. No one else is in here but him, and I narrow my eyes on the kub when I hear the familiar endearing name they love using for me.

"Is this the only place where we can get food in the school?" I ask straightforward, passing the table so the blue monokub hops down to follow after me into the kitchen.

"You're actually THAT worked up over a dumb wannabe peach?!" Monokid snorts, guitar propped up over his shoulder like a tool rather than an instrument. "Yeah, the shit you fleshies need to survive is all here! You could probably get snacks from the student store monomachine though. Actually, I'm pretty DAMN sure nectarines come out of the monomachine only! You have to have tons of lucky though to get one- which YOU definitely lack, UGLY! _**HA!**_ _"_

 _Why wouldn't nectarines be found in the kitchen?! And what's his_ _monomachine_ _he's talking about?_

I decide to dig into the kitchen, practically tearing it apart in search for even a _tiny_ nectarine at least. When I find nothing of the sort, I look around at the mess I've made in the kitchen and make a whining noise of distaste.

"See? Wha'd I tell ya, ugly! ...Now clean this shit up," Monokid giggles, looking like he's enjoying watching me suffer in my endeavors to find my desired treat.

The fact that my mouth keeps watering when I recall the nectarine flavor is starting to get annoying the longer I don't find one of my own. However...besides the fact that trying to get one is a lot more work than just submitting to Rantaro's trap, it would be a _prize_ to see his face if I were to just randomly walk out with my own nectarine. It'd definitely foil his efforts to bribe me into talking to him, that's for sure.

... _I'm such a hypocrite. I shouldn't be so critical about_ _Rantaro's_ _secret. Maybe he's finding it just as stressful to keep his secret as it is for me to keep mine- despite that I'm being forced into silence by_ _Monokuma_ _. Besides, it's not like I dislike him so much. I_ want _to be around him._

Or maybe I'm being wishy-washy just to make an excuse to get the nectarine from him.

"If you were smart, you'd suck it up and just get it from your green boyfriend. You're NOT gonna get your grubby hands on one yourself, ugly," Monokid comments after a little while of watching me clean up, the bear sitting on the counter and strumming the badly tuned rubber band chords of his cardboard guitar.

I huff as I lift a bag of flour up that I'd placed beside him earlier, hauling it back into the pantry and dumping it in its rightful place.

"I'm definitely not doing that," I simply answer, turning to grab containers and organize what little is left of the mess. "What time is it anyways?"

"Don't care! I don't sleep!" Monokid barks delightfully, causing me to pause and look his way once I have what's in my hands set aside. Oh, how _helpful_ his presence is...jeez.

"Why are you even here anyways? I would think you'd be bored hanging around someone ugly like me," I point out, prompting Monokid to jump to his feet on the counter and suddenly slam his cardboard guitar down on my head.

At first, I flinch in shock when it makes contact with my skull. The next second however, I realize the guitar didn't actually hurt me- rather collapsing into a bent piece of an unrecognizable cardboard amalgam around my head.

Monokid is still holding the end of the cardboard guitar, but he doesn't look all to satisfied with the result of his supposed assault.

Actually...he sort of looks rather upset.

"That was my **_LAST GUITAR-!"_** He suddenly cries out in realization, eyes actually tearing up as he looks at what's left in his paw and then turns his distraught gaze to me. " I blame YOU for making me do that! I'll never forgive you, _UGLY!"_

...I don't even know how to respond to that, considering there's literally no change in how he views me. What, so he could hate me more than he already does? Truly unexpected.

While the blue kub holds the remains of his last guitar sadly in quiet respect like it's a friend crossing into the afterlife or something, I finish cleaning up the mess in the kitchen and walk to the dining hall again. Glancing back over my shoulder, Monokid jumps down from the counter with much less of a spring to his step as he somberly follows me out.

 _Who knew robots could get depressed...I better not bring that up to_ _Kiibo_ _though, or he'll call me_ _robophobic_ _._

Walking out of the dining hall and back into the hallway, I'm unable to resist taking another peek at Rantaro.

He's still reading that book of his, though now he's reclined on a fluffy patch of mossy grass using one of the building lights in the corridor so the words he's reading are legible. He looks...almost picturesque like that, with my precious nectarine set on a napkin right next to him. Thank goodness he hasn't eaten it himself yet.

 _No! Who cares if he eats it! I'm gonna get a better one anyways- a nectarine with more juice, more mass, and a more scrumptious flavor!_

My eyes flick back to Rantaro's face, only to see his green eyes already settled on me much to my surprise. He smiles a little and waves, but seeing this as yet another effort to drag me in with his charm and the nectarine, I whirl around and give him my back as I head over to one of the doors I see I'd originally missed during my time I'd been initially exploring the school. My face is on fire, and I make sure I don't turn back Rantaro's way where he can see my embarrassment of being caught staring at him.

Monokid is still following me, so when I enter this room I have to hold the door open a bit to let the depressed blue bear hobble in after me slowly with his wrecked guitar still at hand.

"Hey, is the monomachine that big thing at the corner?" I ask, not even hesitating to jump over the counter once the door to what appears to be the student store shuts behind us. The machine is pretty large with a glowing exterior and a few flashing lights, looking like a sort of toy capsule machine that takes coins to dispense prizes. Some of the capsules have items, others have slivers of paper- one which I can just make out to read as _Astro Cake._ "So...I can get a nectarine from this thing then..."

"Your chances are slim. You'd have a better chance winning the lottery for a laser treatment to fix your ugly face," Monokid still has enough spunk deep down to automatically remark- much to my annoyance.

My fingers trail over the coin eater, making me frown. What sort of coins does it take? I don't know any American coins this size...well, maybe a half dollar coin, I guess, but somehow I doubt a capsule machine would take an uncommon coin like that. Maybe there's yen of a similar size? I can't even remember what yen looks like.

"It takes monocoins, ya bastard. Here, these are from dad. Who's somehow willing to give you coins rather than get me- his _son-_ that cool guitar up there," Monokid gloomily mutters as he jumps on the counter behind me, dumping out a black and white pouch on the counter surface that jingles with the sound of coins. Quite a couple of coins, at that.

When I open up the pouch, I'm pleased to see ten coins for my spending pleasure, yellow-gold coins with the engraved features of Monokuma right in the middle. Monokid sits with his back to me as I begin to pop in the first coin into the monomachine. It'd sure be lucky if I got it on the first coin...

"Come to think of it, maybe I should grind up some coins for the guitar too- even if it IS just as rare of a monomachine item as the nectarine," Monokid speaks out loud to himself as a capsule pops out of the monomachine. I open it up to see what the paper, a ticket looking thing, says before pouting a little.

"Don't bother. You can have mine," I comment, dropping the ticket for the mini electric guitar right in the blue kubs lap much to his surprise. By the look on the monokub's face, you would think he'd just witnessed some kind of religious miracle or something.

I toss the useless plastic capsule shell in a trashcan nearby and try a second coin in the monomachine. This time when I turn the lever to dispense my prize, there's an audibly heavier clank as the capsule rolls along the spiral neon tunnel and hits the metal stopper at the outside rim of the machine. Retrieving the capsule, I can see there's an actual compass within it. I decide to set it aside on the counter where Monokid no longer is for now, looking near the opposite end of the room where the blue monokub is feeding the ticket I've given him to a machine on the other end of the wall.

Next coin in the monomachine drops another item within a capsule- this time a small pocket mirror like the one that plain cow tried to offer me in the game room. Following that is a ticket for a wearable blanket, which I can't help but jump and grin at the sight of. Now I can stay somewhat warm in my cold room! Honestly, with how late it's starting to get, I was a bit concerned over what I was going to do about the whole "my room is Antarctica" issue tonight. Honestly, it'd be too embarrassing asking to share a room with someone else.

 _Maybe I'll get something else useful next?_

I insert a fifth coin and out comes a capsule...with something I can't quite identify. It's sorta fuzzy. Sorta... _meaty._ I can't help but give it a scowl as I try to figure out what it is until-

"That's a _monkey's paw!"_ Monokid helpfully supplies, suddenly appearing beside me with his shiny new guitar. While he strums it wildly, or _tries_ to since he doesn't quite know how to use a legitimate guitar, I continue to stare at the capsule contents a moment longer before I drop the entire thing in the nearby trash without a second thought.

First of all, _gross._

Second, there's no amount of money someone can pay me to keep that thing around me.

The next two items I get are somewhat useful, though not the nectarine I'm praying for. The ticket for the high-end headphones I appreciate, and with the sewing kit maybe I can alter my clothes if I learn a little bit of sewing.

I have three coins left and I'm quite literally waiting for a miracle at this point. I have three measly chances to get a nectarine and then it's all over.

I take a deep breath and put a coin in the machine, turning the lever and...out comes a ticket for something called a proxilingual device. Of course, this isn't interesting to me in the least bit at the moment, so I set the capsule with Monokid and the rest of my things behind me and pop in my next coin with bated breath.

A capsule with something that resembles a pocket watch pops out, resulting in another failure to retrieve a magnificent nectarine. I'm sweating a little, feeling Monokid pull himself over my shoulder with his new guitar strapped to his back. He doesn't say anything to mock me or belittle me as I slowly pop in my last coin and turn the lever for the last time.

...

"Aw, _come on!"_ Monokid and I blurt out, him in outrage and me in dismay as I slump down to the ground and throw the capsule with the chalk bag the monomachine deposited over my unoccupied shoulder. Sure, it's a fitting item to have received, but it's not a nectarine. Of my ten coins, I didn't get the thing I wanted the _most._

 _Which means..._

Suddenly realizing what I must do and hating every bit of the thought, I eventually stand up and reach over my shoulder where Monokid is- lifting him up off of me and setting him down on the bar with my things so I can jump over the counter again. On the other side, I look back at the capsules and the bear, sucking in air for bravery and nerve. I pace a little, hyping myself up and exhaling heavily before inhaling deeply again to ground myself.

This is it. I _have_ to do this. I need that fruit.

"Okay, I'll just, um...go out there and demand he hand it over for being a prick and trying to bait me!" I state, turning back to Monokid as he goes through my capsules and opens them up.

"Yeah! And if he doesn't wanna, BEAT IT OUTTA HIM! You show that pretty boy who's BOSS!" Monokid agrees with fire, pumping a clenched fist up in support much to my surprise. Honestly, I wasn't expecting him to cheer me on about it, but with another exhale and a nod, I turn and march right out of the room- verbally prepared for battle.

I know exactly what I want and exactly what I'm going to say to get it.

Turning down the hall as a woman on a mission, I can see Rantaro still laying down- now resting on his side as I steel my nerves to approach him. Every step closer makes my heart speed up. My hands feel clammy, a testament to just how nervous I am to talk to Rantaro again, _especially_ with how rude I'd been after doing a one-eighty on him earlier.

I take the last few steps towards him, his dazzling green eyes quietly flicking up towards me as I come to a stop and force myself to casually sit down beside him on the grass away from most of the tile in the hallway. A terribly sweet smile appears on his face as I try not to look at the nectarine beside him, my brain mentally fumbling with all the plans and commands I'd planned moments before now that I'm looking at him.

"Hey," Rantaro first greets me, somewhat making me blank out even more before I manage to swallow down my nerves and reply simply with, "U-um, hi."

...

As a few moments pass, Rantaro's look ebbs towards something a bit knowing, which I'm not too surprised of. Obviously he knows I really want that nectarine- even though I tried to deny it earlier.

"How can I help you?" He casually inquires, an innocent look as he dog ears his place in his book and sets it aside to sit up and face me.

 _Now's my chance! Order him to give up that treasure, he clearly doesn't understand it's value and doesn't deserve it! He-_

"You still want it?" Rantaro asks gently, suddenly holding up the nectarine to me with complete ease. I could snatch the thing from him if I wanted to...

So it's no surprise when I make an attempt and he quickly sits up on his knees to hold the sacred fruit just out of my reach. Impatient for the fruit and somewhat hurt that he's keeping it from me but offering it with the clear intent of _not_ handing it over, I whine a little in abject dismay.

"I want it," I admit pitifully, hating how successful Rantaro has trapped me with just a stupid fruit. Clearly Kaede knew my favorite fruit- food- or whatever, but how did _Rantaro_ get one?

Why did _he_ have to be the one to get it and not me?!

"Alright. Now we're getting somewhere," Rantaro comments, raising a single brow. He's a little less playful now, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "If you want it...I'll give it to you."

I brighten up and stand to reach for it again, only for Rantaro to stand up to his full height and hold it away despite his words. Confused by his continued refusal to give me the nectarine, I look back at him. Something clicks in my mind and my stomach rolls uncomfortably.

 _He has terms, doesn't he? Darn..._

"...F-Fine, what do you want?" I ask, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. I can't help but avoid his gaze as I hide my cheeks with my fluffy hair, only for Rantaro to clear his throat so I eventually force myself to look back up at him.

"I think you owe someone a big apology. And it's not me, if you're wondering," Rantaro alludes, green eyes narrowed on my smaller frame knowing I won't dare argue with him when he holds such a highly prized item over me. Or that's probably what _he_ thinks.

 _Who?_ _Kokichi_ _?_ _Kaede_ _? Or is he talking about..._

...

 _"Her?_ No! I'm not doing that. I don't like that cow," I simply remark snidely, dropping my hair and crossing my arms moodily. Just the thought of looking at Tsumugi irritates me, enough that I momentarily forget what exactly I'm trying to win from Rantaro.

"Why not?" Rantaro inquires, staring at me expectantly.

"B-Because!" I snap, upset that no one else seems to notice how unappealing that girl is as a person. Not even Kaede noticed it, even though she was put through the same aberrant rudeness as myself. Sorta makes me wonder what Shuichi thinks of Tsumugi...not that I can even ask him, since he won't even look my way after avoiding my questions in the classroom. "She's rude. And I don't like her."

"Prairie, just because somebody is rude doesn't mean you should also be rude yourself. We had this talk earlier regarding Kokichi, I _know_ you're better than this," Rantaro sighs, prompting me to huff and look away from him defiantly at the scowl he's aimed my way from my petty behavior.

"Sorry I can't meet your standards," I quip, rolling my eyes since I know he doesn't like it.

"It's not that I have standards. You're just behaving like a child," Rantaro bluntly drops with little mercy. Before I can bristle up and blow the cap on my temper though, he tosses the nectarine up in his hand a bit to remind me of its presence. Seeing it makes me grab the reins of my rage and calm myself as I glare up at him sourly. "You know, Tsumugi was hurt by your words earlier. You broke her mirror too. While I understand you were anxious, what you said to her was in no way necessary."

"...sorry," I say, though it comes out bitter anyways. I can't bear to look at Rantaro anymore.

"You don't sound very sorry. And like I said before, it's not me who needs the apology. Don't you care that you hurt her feelings?" He presses, prompting me to shrink back a fraction until he reaches out to move my chin so I look up at him again. "Instead of holding a grudge, please try talking to her. In a civilized manner like I know you're capable of. If you still don't like her afterwards, then fine, but at least you apologized for your behavior. You won't have to say anything else other than a courteous 'hi' to her every now and then. If you at least do that, I'll gladly give you the nectarine and I'll stop bugging you from now on."

...

I pull my face out of his hold and yank out my monopad, scrolling through the map until I find where Tsumugi is.

 _Hmm...seems like she's alone in the gymnasium. Well, I guess here goes nothing._

"Alright. I'll apologize to her. I just need to- _stop smiling like that._ I still don't _want_ to apologize, I'm only doing it because you have a somewhat valid point!" I snap, eyeing his bright and sunny grin of pride aimed at me with a scowl I throw back. "I still hate you."

"That's fine, I don't mind," Rantaro answers without missing a beat, prompting me to somewhat lose my composure as I peer up at him in mild confusion.

"W-Why not?" I stammer bemused.

"Just 'cause," Rantaro avoids the question with that grin of his, right before bending back down to retrieve his book and stick it in his back pocket. "Anyways, let's get going then."

Rantaro offers me his hand just like he had the first few times when we'd met. Automatically, I start to reach for it on impulse and stop just as my fingertips touch his palm- suddenly yanking my hand back and spinning around to head for the student store in a feisty brisk march.

"I-I can walk _myself!"_ I complain, hating how heat floods up to my cheeks at the soft chuckle I just barely hear from him. "I'll be right back, I just need to go grab something!"

I speed walk away in embarrassment, entering the student store where Monokid still sits. He looks happy, admiring his new guitar as if it were a fine piece of art.

"Didja get it?!" He asks, to which I bite my lip in thought and nod after a second.

"Er, kinda-sorta. He's giving it to me if I go apologize to Tsumugi in the gym," I explain, noticing Monokid somewhat pause before continuing to look at his guitar. Maybe he doesn't like her either- _finally_ someone that understands my issue with her! "So, I'm just gonna go get it over with."

I walk over to the counter and pick up the hand mirror Monokid had extracted from the capsule, surprised to see all the items I've won already on the counter for me. Seems like Monokid thoughtfully processed all the tickets for me in advance. Although...what do I do with them? There's too much stuff to bring along with me to the gym, and I don't want to trouble Rantaro to help me carry them.

Before I can open my mouth to ask Monokid what I ought to do with them, he bluntly answers, "Don't sweat it, I'LL take the shit to your room! No problem for me!"

Just like that, the blue monokub jumps and pulls the guitar over his shoulder so the strap holds it across his back, scooping up all the items in a bag he snatches up from under the counter and turning to look at me once more.

"Remember, for any other tickets that ya get later, you need to feed them to the ticket feeder over THERE!" Monokid comments boisterously, gesturing to the end of the counter where I'd seen him getting his guitar earlier.

"O-Okay. Thank you," I answer, popping the mirror in my pocket as Monokid quickly bounds away and meeting Rantaro outside with a sigh on my part.

Neither of us say anything as we walk down the hall towards the gym in silence, the only sounds being the crunch of grass and stone as we walk. I can hear a couple of voices outside the building, but they're much too far away to properly identify or understand coherently.

I push open the doors once we reach the gymnasium, immediately spotting Tsumugi's figure in the middle of the stage at the back and feeling my body come to a stop. It isn't until then that I realize just how badly I've messed up. What if Tsumugi rejects my apology? What if she breaks the mirror I'm going to give her?

I look back at Rantaro in slight discomfort, but he just smiles at me and gently nudges me forward towards her.

"I'll wait for you here and give you girls some privacy," Rantaro explains, leaning against the door frame casually before I resign myself to turning around and continuing my walk across the gym where Tsumugi is. What looks like a long trip almost feels like only three steps, as I soon find myself right in front of Tsumugi's reserved disposition by the stage- prompting the girl to turn and blink in surprise when she sees me.

 _...It'll feel weird to talk to her from down here, so I'm just gonna-_

I pull myself up on the stage easily, standing up to face her. Tsumugi's taller than me now that I'm paying attention to her, thought despite our last encounter she doesn't look too upset to see me. If anything, it almost looks like she's...extremely happy?

So I'm a bit caught off guard when she bows to me off the bat and blatantly blurts out, "I'm sorry, Prairie!"

 _...Wait, I thought I was the one here to apologize?_

"The reason you're upset with me is because of our first meeting, right? When I ignored you? I've been thinking about it and at first when Kaede explained how it was rude, I didn't quite understand...but I do now. I'm _so_ sorry I ignored you when you made the effort to try and introduce yourself to me. I was still really nervous with waking up here and not knowing anyone or what was going on, but that's still no excuse. I...hope we can start over properly this time. But only if you want though!" Tsumugi word vomits, looking at me for my decision as she eventually silences.

I sigh again, this time in relief. I think this is a good sign she isn't going to break the mirror I've brought for her.

"No, you don't need to do that. There's nothing for _you_ to apologize for," I inform her, bowing back to her. "M-My grudge on you is petty and shouldn't exist whatsoever. I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier. I'm sorry I broke your mirror and insulted you unprompted. It was uncalled for and childish of me."

When I straighten up, I'm somewhat pleased to realize most of my irritation with her has faded into plain curiosity.

 _...I guess I could give her a chance. She's probably not so bad if she's actually like this. Although in previous resets, she had never ignored me due to the stress, so maybe this is one of those slight personality shifts I've been noticing in a few of the others- where they were slightly unlike their current selves or nothing like how they are now. Not like these differences have been all that bad or anything._

"Starting over sounds like a good idea," I agree, holding out a hand to her and smiling warmly. "I'm Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber."

Tsumugi brightens up considerably, visibly elated by my agreement. She has to slap her cheeks in excitement afterwards though as if making sure she's not dreaming. Once she's gotten a hold of her excitement however, she grins and introduces herself properly as well.

"My name is Tsumugi Shirogane. I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer!" She introduces herself, which immediately explains why that Yōkai costume was "unfit" for her expert taste when Monokuma waltzed in with it earlier today.

"Huh, that's an interesting talent," I comment thoughtfully, before remembering the weight in my pocket and reaching in to pull it out and hold it out to her. "By the way, I-I sort of owe you this. To replace the one I broke...sorry again about that."

Tsumugi takes the mirror from me, smiling up at me and pocketing it after a second.

"Thank you! It means a lot to me that you'd go through the trouble to replace it," Tsumugi chirps, right before taking a lock of hair and sort of twirling it around her finger. "By the way...I was wondering if maybe later on, you wanted to try cosplaying out with me? I'd love to put you in a Sailor Jupiter outfit, you would look _so good_ dressed up as her! Your hair is totally like hers!"

"Sailor...Jupiter..." I mumble, scrunching up my eyes in thought as I stare at Tsumugi's eager face, eventually relaxing and smiling when I remember what the source material is. "Oh, from Sailor Moon? Y-Yeah, I guess I don't mind, but-"

I blink for half a second and Tsumugi has whipped out a measuring tape, startling a small squeak out of me as she drags that tape around multiple parts and and angles of my body with little restraint. As soon as she starts, the measuring nightmare ends- enough for me to relax once she lets the tape measurement wind up and snap its entire length back into its chamber.

"Alright! I can't wait, I need to get started on this now, I'm so excited that Perfect Blitz gets to model my work!" With a gleeful squeal, she scurries out of the gymnasium, passing Rantaro and giving him a happy-go-lucky wave he calmly returns as she disappears into the school with a quirky leap of excitement on her way out.

 _That's it then, huh?_

I take a seat on the edge of the stage and sigh as Rantaro eventually makes his way in, casting me a smile as he crosses the gym and stops in front of me

"Whatever happened, Tsumugi seems pretty happy as a result," he comments, looking rather satisfied for still being hated by me.

"Yeah, I sort of said she could, um...dress me up if she wanted. Don't worry, I'll regret it later," I explain sheepishly, drumming my fingers along my knees as a blush of embarrassment rises to my cheeks. Rantaro laughs a little before reaching out to push some hair behind my ear.

"Well, a promise is a promise. Here you go, it's all yours," Rantaro states, right as he hands me the nectarine and the napkin he has. He gives me a bit of a more somber look, though it seems like he's trying to hide it from the way his eyes only express it rather than his entire face. "And just like I said before, now that you've apologized to Tsumugi, I'll leave you alone for good-"

I put the nectarine down and hop off the stage, surprising Rantaro by his stiffening posture with a hug that catches him off guard. He hugs me back after a moment, saying nothing about my actions.

"...I'm sorry for being so troublesome," I mumble, feeling him lift a hand from my back to run it through my hair.

"I know. And don't worry, I know you're doing your best. You did good right now with Tsumugi, after all," Rantaro answers, his tone much warmer than ever. "Hey, I was going to check out the library earlier when I ran into Tsumugi and Kaede in the game room, and I still need to go in. Would you like to keep me company?"

I push back from him, looking up at him in consideration before a small smile eventually breaks across my face and I nod in agreement.

 _Not to mention...maybe I can test my intuition in the library too. And now I won't be distracted so much since I have the nectarine now._

When Rantaro holds out his hand to me this time, I take it in mine without hesitation or shame, following him out of the gym after grabbing my beloved nectarine prize.

 ** _End of 2.9 - A Prize For A_** ** _Price_**

 ** _A/N:_**

 _To Guest: I'm happy that I'm writing him well, it really is challenging! And yes, there are some correlations with Sayaka Maizono (I love her design lol). Oh there's definitely some despair brewing in the pot, that's for sure~!_

 _;D Now for a reminder of hints to remember:_

 _1) Prairie wasn't supposed to be in the killing game and was a super last minute addition (as alluded by Monotaro during the first resets)._

 _2) Monokuma and the Monokubs aren't in the know of why she was added (by Monokuma's continued curiosity of her and his claims she's expendable), although it's debatable whether Tsumugi also knows or not._

 _3) Monokuma and the Monokubs know about as much of her intuition as Prairie herself does._

P.S. Sorry the ending format is shit lol, I edited and uploaded this chapter on my phone since I was out, and lemme tell ya- desktop mode is great, but definitely not user friendly sksksksk


	22. 2:10 - Rebound

**_2.10 - Rebound_**

When we get downstairs, a few odd things about Rantaro's behavior jumps out at me immediately, even though I'm occupied with eating my nectarine in my free hand as I observe him.

First and foremost, as we hit the basement floor, he doesn't go and lead us to the library like I would imagine since that's where his business is. No, he takes us to the game room first- going to the door and looking back at me with a smile of mild sheepishness like he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"Ah, just checking to make sure it's only us down here. We'll just be a second or two," he explains without actually elaborating, prompting me to raise a brow but remain quiet as a result.

I follow Rantaro through the game room and into the AV room, watching him intently as he scans for any other people and pulls us over to the door that leads back into the hall of the basement floor. Using one hand, Rantaro tries to slide it open, but it only opens barely a fraction before it clicks into place and refuses to open any more.

"Hm…" Rantaro hums to himself, releasing the door and promptly leading us back out to the game room and then the hall. At that point, I decide I've been silent long enough and decide to say something.

"Rantaro, why should only us need to be on this floor?" I ask after a moment, right after swallowing a bite of my nectarine. "I-I mean...if I didn't already know you weren't a suspicious guy, I'd swear up and down you were making sure there's no witnesses around to see you murder me…"

The green haired teen pauses mid-step and turns to look back at me, expression somewhat dry until he sees my mildly uncomfortable expression and realizes I'm not joking around about my statement.

"Prairie, _no,_ there's no way I'd ever do that," Rantaro reassures me with an obviously embarrassed smile of his own.

"I-I know, believe me. But...the fact that you don't explain it sorta looks suspicious," I elaborate, causing Rantaro to sigh and put his hands on his hips. I take another bite of my nectarine to hide a bit of a wry smile. Poor guy has _no_ idea how enigmatic he makes himself appear, huh?

"Am I really that suspicious looking to everyone?" He inquires, as if still dubious about the claim.

Chewing, I nod to him in confirmation and watch him look away thoughtfully like he's quietly analyzing his usual behavior. As he does that, I step closer and lean my shoulder against his side with a soft comforting bump.

"You're very oblivious. Just so you know...telling everyone you're 'not a suspicious guy' only makes it seem like the opposite is true. E-Especially since you're so secretive and keep things from everyone," I drop casually, gently pushing off of him and walking towards the library when he looks my way so he isn't given a chance to see whether I was dropping shade or just stating simple fact.

Note: it was definitely shade.

 _I'm so troublesome. Why does Rantaro even bother with me? I need to cool down, I can't always be getting irritated like this._

"So what do you suggest I ought to do then?" Rantaro inquires as he catches up with me, thought it's obvious by his tone that no matter what I say, he isn't going to change his secret keeping habit- at least not right now. Clearly he's noticed, or suspects I threw a verbal jab at him.

 _...I need to let it go. He's not hurting anyone by keeping a secret or two. And it's not like he's getting upset with_ _me_ _for the secrets I'm keeping._

I'm completely relaxed now, stopping just at the front door of the library closest to the stairs and turning to look at him with a harmless playful smile that teeters between the border of mischief and innocence.

"Not whine if people tell you you're suspicious and creepy," I answer coyly, watching as the air of sternness around him twists with mild hints of confusion and eventually settles into a smile. He probably noticed I cooled down real quick, or he thinks he imagined the jab. Either way, disaster averted!

"You're adding to it, no one's ever said I'm creepy," Rantaro accuses, to which I playfully answer without missing a beat, "That's funny, because I could have sworn I just did right now."

…

I let out a squeak and giggle when Rantaro suddenly pokes my side, making me pull my nectarine back as I jump out of his range of pokes and scurry ahead into the library to escape him. It's the only assaulting poke he gives me thankfully, the green eyed teen flashing me an innocent and laid back grin before following me into the library and scanning for any others like he'd done in the game room. It's just us in here though.

 _When I dropped the jab about Rantaro keeping secrets, he didn't try to actually deny anything. Was that on purpose?_

I peek at Rantaro curiously for a second, turning away quickly and walking deeper into the dusty gothic-esque library before he can look back my way and ask if I need something. I'm nearly finished with the nectarine Rantaro gave me, nibbling on the juicy leftovers as I stroll on over to one of the shorter shelves and sit on it. I look back at Rantaro, earning a smile of mild amusement as he walks past me towards the back of the library to get on with whatever he's here for. He paces around the back wall thoughtfully, as if he's looking for something in particular.

By the way he moves the books around, I assume he must be looking for a particular book. Watching quietly, I simply finish off my fruit before cleaning my hands and wrapping the nectarine pit in my napkin.

Rantaro has taken out his monopad and is looking through it as I walk to the stray trashcan to dump my napkin. Returning to him, Rantaro switches off his monopad and tucks the device in his pocket without a comment.

 _Hm...I guess he must have something he needs to keep a screen in his monopad as well._

Decidedly, I say nothing about it and watch him move the books some more...until something jumps out at me. Rantaro seems to notice it right away when I do, though he doesn't seem to realize I've caught wind of the same discovery.

Namely that the middle shelf at the back of the library happens to be the only shelf that doesn't have books stacked up on top of it, unlike every other one.

My eyes drag down- enough that they eventually land on a particularly suspicious gap in the middle of a couple of books. Curious, I go ahead and reach in carefully, finally garnering Rantaro's attention when he notices what I'm doing. I feel around momentarily before my fingers come in contact with a sort of mechanism, prompting me to frown a little as I gently feel for how it works. It's a sort of latch function, with wires that connect to the very back of the shelf.

"There's some sort of mechanism here," I comment, fingering the latch hesitantly. What if it's a trap that activates when I pull it? The wires in the back aren't very comforting, and I wouldn't put it past a place like this to set up horrible traps for us.

"Let me see," Rantaro inquires, prompting me to slip my hand out of the way so he can reach in and-

My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when the bookshelf suddenly starts to open with a dreadful rumble, scraping the floor as I jump back a few steps with Rantaro.

 _So...was this what Rantaro was looking for in the library? How'd he know there was something around here of interest in the first place?_

"And you call _me_ reckless. That could have been a trap and you just yanked it all willy-nilly," I accuse, though other than an embarrassed laugh, he doesn't dwell on my callout.

I look back at the door behind the moving bookshelf, eyeing it up and down suspiciously. It's a door, one that is a split of color of black and white much like Monokuma. To the right of the door is a card reader, and peering at it reveals dust hidden in the groove to slide the card. Has it not been used in a while?

It's while I turn to mention this to Rantaro that I notice in his pocket...he has _two_ monopads that appear identical tucked in his pocket. I frown a little and then look up to see him already observing me. He seems tense, like he's waiting for me to say something about it. No doubt there are quite a few things I want to say- like why he's got two and who he got the second monopad from- since each of us got only one per person.

…

I sigh in the end and turn back to look at the card reader again. "Anyways-" I start, much to Rantaro's visible surprise out of the corner of my eye.

"You're not going to ask?" He asks boldly, obviously wanting to know why I'd dismiss it- or whatever _this_ is. W-What kind of a place like this needs a hidden room no one knows about?" I change the topic, tapping the scanner curiously and eyeing how the dust in the reader stays in place. A blow of air at it cleans it out though, one that makes me smile a little. Nice and Tidy.

 _I'll chalk it up to that despite how Rantaro suspected something would be here- and was correct- he's at least on our side and working to help us all. I trust him._

"Well, there's really no reason for this sort of measure to be taken to hide a room that Monokuma obviously uses. An easier way to make it hidden and inaccessible would be to make the entry- bear sized- so humans can't get in. I can only imagine that…" Rantaro trails off, turning my way as the realization dawns on me via his implicating analysis. "Tell me I could be wrong, because I hate where I'm going with this."

I bite my lip and shake my head. Unfortunately, he's right on track with his logic, despite how unpleasant it is.

"Sorry, but…I think you're right," I answer, looking back at the clearly _human_ sized door before us. "There's a person in our group that's in with Monokuma, and they probably use this door. And from experience with dealing with Monokuma, they'll probably eventually learn we know about the hidden doorway and use it against us."

My voice is low and secretive as I explain, prompting Rantaro to nod and glance around the library in obvious search of cameras watching.

"I remember the monokubs mentioned that when Monokuma was talking about punishing you in the dining hall. Monophanie said that he has eyes everywhere, but...there's no way he could have caught proof of Monotar- I mean-" Rantaro fumbles a little, causing me to reach out and rub his shoulder.

"You can say it, don't worry. Monokuma already knows what happened after all. I just don't want the others to think _I'm_ some kind of traitor for being nice to the monokubs. Kokichi is already suspicious, I think...and he's enough of a handful," I explain, removing my hand with a small smile.

"Right…" Rantaro relaxes, smiling back at me and resuming his statement. "Anyways, without cameras, he wouldn't have caught what happened with Monotaro. I don't know where they are placed, but they have to be set up around the school if he caught him."

I nod in agreement, before glancing back at the card reader thoughtfully.

"Hey...since he's the Ultimate Detective and whatnot, do you think Shuichi's already found the hidden door too?" I question, noting how Rantaro somewhat stiffens up when I mention the reserved gold eyed teen. He turns to face my way and takes one of my hands- smiling nervously. He looks like I'm gonna get mad at him again.

 _No promises._

"Prairie, you trust me, right?" He asks, a charming smile now gracing his handsome features.

I almost want to say no just to spite him for trying to charm me with his "pretty-boy" face. Instead, I obviously glance at the monopads in his pocket and at the hidden doorway behind me.

"Unfortunately, yes," I answer, watching Rantaro laugh sheepishly before rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment.

"Ah...okay, that's good enough I suppose." Rantaro pauses and his features become serious. I feel my back and spine straighten up as a result. "Can you do me a favor and keep this a secret between just you and me?"

 _A secret between the two of us? Like how Kaede and Shuichi both are hiding something from the rest of us?_

"Well, only if you promise not to do anything stupid. I'll keep my mouth shut if you're careful," I state, watching as his familiar smile returns to his face. Unfortunately, it's not the genuine smile I know and like seeing from him.

"I promise," he lies.

…

"I'm not sure if I should be offended you think I'm that dense, or simply take it as it is," I huff a little, noting how his smile never wavers and how his hands tighten just slightly around mine. It doesn't hurt or anything, he's clearly just implying the importance of my cooperation.

"Please."

I frown more, but eventually conjure up a good answer for him.

"Fine. I won't tell anyone," I reply, prompting Rantaro to sigh a little more in relief before I add, "and I still hate you."

He laughs and suddenly pulls me into a hug, despite that I let my arms hang slack and don't hug him back.

"Do you always hug people that say they hate you?" I complain, already attempting to wriggle away from him before he finally releases me so I can grab my hair and hide my red cheeks.

"Depends on the person that hates me. Especially when I know they don't really mean it," Rantaro answers, offering me a meaningful look.

 _Of course I don't really hate him, but when he's being unreasonable and a hypocrite by putting himself in a risky position and then scolding me when I do the same-_

"Let me know the day you meet a person that doesn't mean it then," I comment, simply turning to walk back around the library. "I guess I'll leave it to you to study that thing. I'm just gonna find something to read and then hang out in the game room."

"You're not staying?"

 _Gah! Why's he got to ask me that so directly?_

I turn back to him, eyeing him curiously.

"Do you really need me?" I ask, watching as he smiles somewhat sheepishly and simply answers, "For moral support, yes."

With a sigh on my part, I turn and shrug, relenting out of the kindness at the bottom of my heart...despite how embarrassing it is that I'm complying so quickly.

"Alright, I'll stay and read in here, I guess…" I comment, looking back in time to see him smile before turning and observing the hidden door and card reader. Once I'm sure he's completely occupied, I focus on my own attention on all the books around me.

 _Okay, let's find something to test my ability on. Maybe a puzzle book? Would regular books even be found in here? Or-_

I come across a distinctly large selection of books- ones that look like textbooks- and immediately start scanning for something useful.

 _…! A sudoku puzzle! Okay, that will work,_ I think to myself, opening the book up as soon as I yank it out of the shelf. It's one of the smaller books- one that's paperback and has a convenient pencil taped to the spine of the book. With it at hand, I sit on one of the low shelves closest to where Rantaro is tinkering with the card reader- surprising since he doesn't quite strike me as the techie type. Or maybe he's looking for a hidden button, or some sort of hint that will grant him entry? Who knows, I'm sure he thinks he's got it handled though.

I peel the tape on the spine of the puzzle book and open it back up to the first page.

 _Alright, where to start then._

I tap the back of the pencil against the book and then quickly shut my eyes, scribbling what first comes to mind without having looked at the numbers. Once I open my eyes again, I'm actually somewhat surprised by what I see.

First of all, I wrote every number in a box accurately- none of the writing too far to any side or coming out past the borders of their respective boxes. On the other hand however, the numbers are a total mess. At least in comparison to the numbers already pre-assigned to a few of the boxes, since if those other numbers were different, the puzzle would have been completed properly.

At the top corner of this attempt, I write "Test #1: Not having looked at numbers."

 _Okay, now is this all possible to complete in the same amount of time if I check the numbers beforehand?_

I turn to the next page and glance at every number for a moment, closing my eyes once I've looked at all of them and letting my hand with the pencil scrawl across the page. Once the squares are presumably all filled with a number (a guesstimate on my part, which I guess is part of these testing attempts in itself). I open my eyes...and gawk momentarily.

I glance up to see if maybe Rantaro's noticed the insanity going on here, only to see him absorbed with the moving bookcase. Turning my attention back to the puzzle, I quickly scan each row and column in search for a mistake, despite already sensing there _isn't_ one. Once again, every number is neatly smack dab in the middle of a square, and this time the numbers are all aligned without a hitch. No repeat numbers, no mistakes.

 _Is it possible to do it with my eyes open though, or is it just when there closed that this occurs?_

In my third attempt, I do just that. When it becomes clear my overthinking hinders the results and my attempts on a fourth test at just writing random answers with my eyes open blows, I pause and lift up my pencil to stare at the two failures.

 _Now...how many puzzles can I complete using test number two's method right now?_

I flip to a fifth fresh puzzle and peek at Rantaro to make sure he's still busy, turning my body just slightly to give him my back where he can't see what I'm doing. Last thing I need is Monokuma popping in and berating me about it. Then again...there's a big difference between me hinting and simply _using_ the ability. Not to mention, if he bans me from using it altogether, _he_ won't learn anything about it either.

Pencil at the ready, I begin with scanning the page for the numbers and close my eyes once I've looked at them all. Without immediately checking for the right answers, at least not yet, I move to the next page and repeat the process And then again. Another time…a fifth time, a sixth time…

By my seventh attempt going through a puzzle, I'm hyperaware of the fact that my speed in writing has slowed down from the first five and even sixth attempt using this method. By the eighth try, I notice this slightly dizzy feeling in my head and this pain that begins to form at my forehead just between my eyes.

"Prairie?" Rantaro sounds somewhat concerned, making me look up from rubbing my forehead in confusion. When did he appear next to me?

He wipes something from the corner of my mouth unexpectedly, causing my eyes to widen a little when I see a red tint of liquid coat his thumb- enough that I start to scramble off of the shelf until Rantaro stops me by lifting me up and sitting me back on it.

"Hold on, stay there for a moment," he requests calmly, giving me a once over by moving my face up towards the light to look at my eyes. "Open your mouth for me."

I do as he says, although looking up at the light only makes my head hurt more. While doing this, we both jump when we hear the shelf suddenly rumble again, looking back to see as it swings shut to hide the hidden door. Presumably it's to make sure it closes so no one finds it open. It wouldn't be very secretive if you went in and forgot to close it, after all.

Rantaro eventually dismisses it and tilts my head again, making me open my mouth for him to see if anything is wrong.

 _I'm still somewhat dizzy, but I don't feel like it's getting worse...maybe it's some kind of rebound from using my ability often?_

"Y-You know what?" I eventually speak up, pulling my face from his gentle hold and wiping my mouth to make sure nothing's there. "I'm fine, just tired. I didn't sleep all that long, remember? Maybe I bit my cheek or tongue and just can't feel it or something. I'm just gonna head back to sleep a little more and I'll probably feel better after."

"So then...something _is_ wrong?" He asks, to which I shake my head.

"No, I'm just tired," I insist, watching as he somewhat frowns and eyes me curiously. He studies my features for a few more beats before sighing and moving aside for me to jump off of the shelf. Before I can make any move to leave on my own, Rantaro takes hold of my free hand.

"I'll walk you. After all, your room still isn't much of a room to be sleeping in, so you can use mine for now," Rantaro comments, leading me calmly towards the exit when I make no objections to his statement regarding the use of his room.

 _I don't want to sleep and I'm not tired. I just need somewhere to keep doing more tests in private so I don't worry anybody if the blood from my mouth really_ _is_ _a result of my abilities. Especially if I end up passing out...and of course, Rantaro's room isn't really a good option either. I don't want to scare him if he comes back and finds me face down on the floor._

"Thank you," I answer anyways as we leave the school building, somewhat mildly surprised to see that most of the students that were originally outside earlier are now mostly gone. The only two around are Gonta and Korekiyo, but they're both absorbed in their own personal pursuits to notice Rantaro and I when we pass either of them. Hard to tell if what they're doing is being done together or separately, or if they're doing separate things and simply keeping one another company. Either way, it's sort of nice to see some of the students getting along in this place where we're supposed to...murder each other.

The green haired teen escorting me back to the dormitories gives me a charming honest smile, squeezing my hand in a show of friendliness as we reach our destination. He opens the door for me and I step in from outside with a small smile.

As I look around, I see only one person hanging out along the stairs. Just my luck someone would be around in here loafing around since I was planning to bail from Rantaro's room the second he left. Sadly, of all people, it had to be _him._ As if fate had decided I simply hadn't seen _enough_ of him already.

"Aw, my two favorite people~! Already bedtime for you lovebirds, or what? It's only five thirty!" Kokichi teases, making me shrink back around Rantaro's other side as a shield from the violet menace's piercing gaze. Why does he need to call us that? Just 'cause we're holding hands? It's not like that, family and friends hold hands too...sometimes.

"Prairie didn't sleep enough so she's catching up on it," Rantaro calmly answers, looking more or less unbothered by Kokichi's prodding and teasing. "That's all, right?"

Rantaro glances my way at that last part, making me nod in affirmation as he leads me to his room door at the bottom level. Kokichi peers down at us from where he's seated, legs swinging playfully off the edge of the platform as he watches us unlock the door and enter the room.

I feel like the air all returns to my lungs as soon as we're out of sight inside Rantaro's room, the green haired ultimate giving me a smile as he lets go of my hand from the doorway.

"Sleep well, Prairie," Rantaro leaves me with, making me nod and answer, "I-I will. Thank you."

The puzzle book in my hand must not be significant enough for him to be concerned about, because he doesn't even give it a glance as he shuts the door and locks it behind himself. On the other side, he tests the door knob for a moment as I tiptoe over to the door. Pressing my ear against the surface, I listen for the sounds of his departure, hearing Kokichi make a comment or two that Rantaro responds to. Whatever they're talking about, I've got no clue, but they eventually stop talking to my relief and one of them leaves the building.

 _If I'm to guess, Rantaro has to have been the one to leave since he's just discovered that secret door with me in the dining hall. There's no way he'd just leave it where it is without giving it a thorough look._

I count to ten...and then unlock Rantaro's room door to step out. I do it ever so carefully, making sure not to make any noise. The second I open the door however, I make a face seeing Kokichi's legs still swinging off the edge of the platform.

Sadly, I don't really have the luxury of 'time' on my side to wait till he's gone though, so I take a deep breath…and let my door close behind me with no attempt to muffle the sound, clinging to the puzzle book and pencil and reaching back to the handle to make sure it locks behind me. Kokichi's legs stop swinging at the sound of the door.

"Huh?" I hear Kokichi as I walk out and hurry on over to the stairs, hating how his eyes narrow on me in obvious amusement as I climb the stairs. "Ah, I see! You _lied_ to Rantaro! Ooo, if only he knew you have him wrapped around your little finger…I approve!"

I give him a slight glare pausing at the end of the top of the platform and then speeding up my walk to get to my room.

"I'm not taking advantage of him. It's not my fault he insists on getting my approval," I huff, followed by Kokichi responding, "Sure it is! It's your fault because you're so cute."

I half choke on my saliva, trying not to appear affected by his silver tongue of lies as I fish out my keys and turn away from him to open my door quickly and rush in. I slam the door behind me just in time as I catch sight of what my room looks like, nearly forgetting to lock the door and fumbling as I eventually do.

My eyes bounce from the dresser to the vanity in the room and to a shower tucked at the very corner in the back- but mostly…!

Taking a running start, I jump on the massive fluffy bed in relief and giggle a little when I bounce on it from the force of my jump. The bed is even bigger than the beds the _others_ have! What?! How did this get here? How did _everything_ get here?!

 _Was it Monotaro again? Or...maybe…?_

"See? She loves it! Even if we WEREN'T able to put a crapper in!"

Sitting up on my knees, I turn to look towards the source of the voice with a smile. Standing on my new dresser a few feet away from where I am on my new bed is Monotaro and Monokid, both of which look rather pleased with my rooms transformation and my reaction to it.

"We wanted to have it done before you got back! What do you think?" Monotaro asks, bouncing eagerly on his feet almost like a puppy eager for praise.

"This is incredible! And it's not cold in here anymore, this is perfect! H-How did you manage to convince Monokuma to allow this?" I ask, awestruck by the unique design of the room's pastel orange walls and the light oatmeal colored carpet. It's like it was literally _personalized_ for me _,_ quite unlike the other rooms that are dark and very lacking in color, at least when I'd seen Rantaro's room and Kokichi's room.

Both bears share a smile, one that makes me cock my head slightly to the side.

"Well, BAISICALLY-!" Monokid starts, until Monotaro grabs his arm.

"W-Wait! We don't know who's watching, even in the rooms…!" Monotaro stops him with a low voice, prompting Monokid to flinch with obvious realization and fall silent with a nod of understanding. "At night as soon as the announcement ends, meet us in the first floor boys bathroom."

I can feel my cheeks heat up at Monotaro's words, jittery at just the thought of walking into the bathroom of the opposite gender. Did I hear him right?

"The _boys'?_ W-Why not the girls? What if I run into another boy in there?" I ask, causing both male monokubs to wince before Monotaro answers. "Er...we have reason to believe the girls' bathroom is bugged and _not_ the boy's bathroom. D-Don't ask, you really don't wanna know! And whatever we can do, it's safer to do in _there."_

"We KNOW it's a lot to ask but...TRUST us!" Monokid exclaims, making a futile effort to lower his voice like Monotaro. Before I can add any input, Monokid and Monotaro bound towards my bedroom door, swinging it open easily only to pause dead in their tracks at my doorway when they find who's standing on the other side.

Kokichi grins and puts his hands on his hips, staring down almost expectantly at the blue and red monokubs that freeze before him. I can feel my stomach swirl a little, already noticing how his eyes sweep around the room, land on me, and then fall back on the kubs to piece together the mystery.

…

"So NEXT TIME we see you messing with things you have no business MESSING with, you're _really_ gonna experience the wrath of us monokubs, ya hear UGLY?!" Monokid suddenly booms my way, making me flinch in surprise before nodding rapidly when I realize he's just trying to save face.

Before anyone can say anything else, the kubs bound away quickly, Monotaro rushing away less than composed in comparison to his brother as sweat pellets form across his head.

Now it's just me, looking out at Kokichi from my bed as he lingers at my doorway. When he turns his gaze back to me, there's a grin on his face- less fake and more along the lines of threatening and cautionary.

"With all these gifts they're giving you, how could you _not_ trust them?" Kokichi muses rhetorically. "Although, I wonder who's the one really being used. You or them?"

He doesn't wait for an answer on my part, surprising me by reaching in to close my door and toss me a wink as he locks it behind him. Once it shuts, I'm left completely alone in my remodeled room, pondering Kokichi's last words and shaking off the icky feeling of implications. I wouldn't say I'm _using_ the monokubs, we're supporting each other, right?

 _You don't even know if you can really trust them though. They might just be nice so they can destroy it for you later and really throw you into despair._

While that might be true, something in my gut keeps telling me it's not like that. I may not be able to trust a lot of people around here as much as I would want to...but I can at least trust _myself_ right?

That's all I can do to sleep at night, I suppose.

 _Monokid and Monotaro said tonight as soon as soon as the announcements are finished to go to the boys bathroom. Then I guess once I finish testing my abilities, I can head on over to see Miu in the warehouse like she asked so I can see what that invention she made is. Hopefully it's nothing that'll kill me…I don't really know what kind of things she makes, and I don't know what's her rate of success in inventions._

I think back to the library and the blood that appeared when I was mid-testing, but after a quick brush off of the incident, I open the puzzle book to the puzzle I left off on and close my eyes.

Ninth puzzle complete. My head is swimming even more than before, and despite the clear warnings that I might be best not continuing, I push myself to finish a tenth puzzle nevertheless. Opening my eyes to collect the numbers for an eleventh, I notice my vision is blurry and somewhat reddish pink. Ignoring it, I close my eyes and finish the puzzle, opening my eyes to turn the page to the twelfth puzzle.

I can barely see the numbers now, and something drips on the book and my hand as I close my eyes and force myself to write the numbers in. Before I can open my eyes for the thirteenth puzzle, my ears suddenly pop uncomfortably, contorting into a slight pain that I try to ignore. I can feel more dripping on my sleeves and taste an intense salty copper-like flavor- an unpleasant amount of it- collecting over my tongue and in my mouth.

Once I realize what's exactly happening and how bad it is, I shove the puzzle book off my lap abruptly without finishing the thirteenth puzzle.

 _Oh my god, no,_ I think, hastily moving to climb off of my bed only to misjudge the distance to the edge in my panic and roll off headfirst into the ground in an uncomfortable heap that does nothing good for my imbalance and confusion as it shifts to nausea and-

Opening my eyes to try and see past the rise of stinging red fluid leaking- yes, _leaking-_ from my tear ducts, I race to the only place in my room with a drain. Swinging open the shower door when I find it, I hunch over and expel the contents from my stomach.

As I finish the upleasant chore, I push back from the shower and wipe the sweat collecting across my forehead. My head has started to pound a lot more than the time I used it for the _Kagome,_ _Kagome_ game with the monokubs...I guess the rebound is different depending on what you do. Maybe analyzing a puzzle is more work than simply listening for which monokub voice is going where in a circle around me.

I carefully lay down on the plush carpet, resting my head over a mat at the mouth of the shower doorway just for a moment to let my nausea settle and for the spinning to stop.

 _I just need to close my eyes for a moment...I need to go see Miu in the warehouse and then...then the monokubs in the metal part...of the wall...to climb…_

 ** _End of 2.10 - Rebound_**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _To Guest: I have more or less a ton of it already planned since I started the story outline much earlier than I started writing the actual chapters, so you won't need to wait too long thankfully. I'm excited for the trials too, although it'll be a while before they're gotten to. Prairie is going to take a much different path for this arc than the rest of the characters, that's for sure ;D_


	23. 2:11 - Worse Than A Deal With A Devil

_**2.11 - Worse Than A Deal With A Devil**_

"Hey, Prairie! You know, you should just give up. You'll never make it to the top with how you are anyways. I mean, look at yourself. You're small, you're slow, and you bruise easily. Leave this stuff for those who are better equipped for it."

"How did you even manage to screw up so badly anyways? It's like you didn't even want to try! Why are you still here if you don't wanna put up the same effort as everyone else? You make the rest of us look bad!"

"Just quit while you're ahea-a-a-aa-d-d-"

…

 _What exactly is this memory? They're just voices...but of who? And why do I have to remember such negative remarks? I'd rather remember the good things._

 _…_

"Don't listen to those crapsacks! Just do your shit as you always do, you'll be fine! And if they don't like it, then they're gonna enjoy the taste of my heel when I slam it down their throats!"

* * *

I laugh sleepily, thinking to myself still half asleep and not quite alert to the waking world yet.

"Hehe...I like that voice…" I mumble drowsily in a slow drawl, mouth feeling like cotton and limbs heavy like weights are attached to them.

At first I just lay there as I start to come to. Then, as the world comes together around me, I completely awaken in a jolt and flinch with a yelp of pain when I attempt to open my eyes. They're stuck shut with something crusty, prompting me to panic momentarily until I feel the shower mat just under me where I'd been laying.

 _That's right, there's a shower in here now! I can wash my face in there!_

Shifting on my hands and feet to stand up, I accidentally bonk my head against something hard and hollow unexpectedly with a force that vibrates down my shoulders and spine.

 _"Ow!"_ I grunt, grabbing my jaw to stop the rattling feeling of my teeth before I stick my hand out to touch the cool sleek surface of the shower with little surprise.

Still feeling minor fatigue and harboring a small headache, I carefully pat around to open the shower door and search for the water valve to run the water. Finding a single dial for the shower, I study the mechanism and eventually pull it out slightly from the tile wall, causing a rush of warm water to hit my head and shoulders from how I'm leaned into the shower. I squeak a little in surprise, but just as I'm about to step in completely without a care for my fully clothed state, I remember something.

 _Wait. I'm pretty sure I threw up my last meal in here before I passed out. Maybe I shouldn't step in completely until I can see where I'm putting my foot._

I lean in and let the warm water pour over my hair and face again, feeling it trail down to soak my clothes carelessly. Although my head is still pounding, the feeling of water across my face is pleasantly refreshing enough to soothe most of my other aches and agitated nerves.

Finding a bar of soap in my blind state by feeling around the shower again despite my odd angle leaning in, I'm able to scrub my face clean enough that I can open my eyes after a bit. The first thing I do of course is look down, but other than the pink tint from cleaning my eyes, nose, and mouth, it seems like whatever I'd deposited in there earlier had mostly drained away since the drain cover hadn't been put in.

With the shower clear to step into, I do so and eventually notice that the water at my feet is still turning pink even though I've cleaned most, if not _all_ of the blood off of my face. Come to think of it though, my ears feel as if they've been somewhat plugged ever since I woke up...maybe it's that-

I reach up and stick my pinkie in my ear, evidently shivering in both mild horror and disgust when my ear unplugs, followed by a deeper red color draining from my ear and cascading down my suit to the shower floor. I even bled from my _ears?_ Well, no wonder my suit is splashed with an obscene amount of blood. What a mess…

I peel my entire soaked suit off and toss it in the corner of the shower with a plop, running my hands through my hair and throwing my hair bow on top of my wet clothes pile. I'll have to wash the blood out of those clothes later, I guess.

 _God, I didn't think the backlash would be_ that _bad. I only ever tried using it a few times, but I guess this is what happens if I abuse the ability. I should have known it would have some sort of drawback._

Once I've cleaned my ears along with the rest of my body, I step out of the shower and grab a towel from several on a shelf next to the glass door. Wrapping it around me, I pluck a brush from atop my vanity and walk on over to my bed with an exhale as I sit.

…

For a moment, I just sit there and do nothing, holding my hair brush as if allowing myself to process what had happened before I'd passed out.

 _So basically, I shouldn't overuse my ability after the first signs of the rebound, and everything I_ do _end up using it on needs to be absolutely worth it._

I lift my brush and finally start running it through my wet locks, causing collected water to drip copiously on my towel I sit there. Doing something so normal like this is nice in a way. Makes me sort of forget the whole "stuck in a killing game" issue if only for a moment at least…

But of course, it's only for a moment.

 _Didn't I need to do something tonight?_

Seeing the blood speckled sudoku puzzle book that had caused me grief abandoned on the floor near where I'm sitting, I stick out my foot to nudge the book with my toes a little, only to notice the pencil next to it and begin making a stupid effort to wrap my toes around the yellow painted wood writing utensil. Nothing important comes to mind even while doing this and brushing my damp hair simultaneously, despite the nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

Just when I'm about to get my toes around the pencil…

 _ **BING, BONG, DING, DONG!**_

The sight of the monokubs as they appear on the screen of the announcement system in my room immediately causes the nagging thoughts to form into clearer and more cohesive reminder, making whatever's being said on the screen to become white noise in the back of my mind.

 _I need to see Miu in the warehouse and I need to meet up with Monotaro and Monokid in the first floor's boy's bathroom!_

All of it comes to me in an instant and I understandably panic when I remember the time.

I drop my hair brush on the bed and run to the door to swing it open, only to realize my horrible mistake when the door hits someone on the other side.

The person grunts and mutters a curse under his breath as he is nudged forward with an unpleasant sound from the door hitting his head, rubbing a hand on the back of their layered green haired head. They start to turn-

-but I slam the door closed just as fast and violently as I had when I originally opened it.

Heart slamming against my the walls of my rib cage, I lean back against my door in horror for a moment before I'm running around my room to whip on my cleaner ultimate uniform from my nearly empty closet the bears provided me with.

Once I'm dressed, I go to my door and pause as a blush of shame finds its way to my cheeks at my embarrassment. Poor Rantaro. Kiibo was right, I shouldn't swing doors open so violently like that.

My cheeks are still bright red under the hand I'm holding over my face since my hair is still wet. After a second, I sigh evidently pull my hair up in a bun, wrapping my coral orange ribbon around it to hold my hair despite how vulnerable and naked I feel without my locks down to cover my blushing.

I eventually manage to get myself to open the door carefully this time, cheeks still flushed when I see Rantaro standing against the rails of the second floor platform with an expectant look on his face and his arms crossed. My face only heats up more when I see him, and I struggle to not slap my hand over my face again.

"I-I'm sorry!" I blurt out off the bat skittishly. "I opened the door still in my towel 'cause I realized I lost track of time, and I told Miu I'd meet up with her tonight, but I couldn't apologize immediately because of the t-towel and because it was super embarrassing- and then I felt bad for just slamming the door shut on you, b-but I couldn't just open the door up in my towel again, and even though I closed the door so you wouldn't see anything and so I wouldn't be embarrassed, I'm embarrassed anyways- so there was really no point if my sanity was going to be destroyed anyways, a-and-" I babble incessantly in horror, words tumbling out of my mouth like a broken sprinkler and becoming more and more convoluted as I try to explain myself.

"Prairie, _it's okay!"_ Rantaro suddenly states clearly over my babbling, smiling when I suddenly slap my hands over my fire red face with a whine of shame and clearly trying not to laugh at me when I stammer another pathetic "I'm sorry" despite his words.

Normally I'm sure him finding my embarrassing behavior funny would probably irritate me, but this time I just hug him since I slammed that door on his head pretty hard from what I remember...

"It doesn't hurt anymore, don't worry. Actually, it was more surprising than painful all things considered...especially since I rather clearly remember leaving you to nap in _my_ room," Rantaro points out, prompting me to push away from him and reach back to open my room door wider as I fan my face with a hand in an attempt to get my temperature back to a reasonable level. As soon as he sees the dramatic interior decorum change with his own two eyes, his brows raise in surprise.

"Y-Yeah, so...it doesn't have a bathroom like everyone else's, but it's better than what it was before at least," I comment, stepping aside so he can enter and half a look-see for himself. By that point, my blush has thankfully settled, and I let out a breath of relief that Rantaro isn't so irritated by the fact I abandoned his room without telling him or leaving a note.

 _I probably_ _ **should**_ _have left a note, huh? I hope I didn't scare him too much with my disappearance…_

"Hm. It's nice...and not cold," Rantaro notes with a satisfied expression on his face as he steps over to my bed and presses his palm down on it, checking the material likely to make sure it's a reasonable material for sleep. "It's good they fixed it, I wasn't sure if I'd have to plan for you to sleepover in my room or convince one of the girls to let you bunk with them."

 _A what…? A-A sleepover with Rantaro?! He considered that an option?! But he's a_ _ **boy!**_

My expression and the heat radiating off of my face must obviously clue him in on what I'm thinking, because Rantaro smiles in obvious amusement when he turns to see my face.

"Ah, that first one was a joke. Sorry. I wouldn't put you to do something stressful like share a room with me when I know your problem around boys, don't worry. I was actually considering bunking with one of the guys so you could use my room," Rantaro admits much to my embarrassment since he can read me so well. That, or I wear my heart on my sleeve.

"Right! Of course!" I squeak with a nervous shiver, before adding a small thanks and looking down at my gloves sheepishly to play with the brass knuckles attached to them aimlessly. Anything to let the awkward air out of my lungs without passing out.

"Bad joke. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Rantaro apologizes, this time having the sense to look more apologetic and concerned despite his mild amusement from before.

I'm just about to spout another filler comment when I notice something by his feet out of the corner of my eye.

It's the blood speckled sudoku puzzle book and my pencil, both still abandoned on the floor exactly where I'd discarded them...with all my anecdotes regarding my ability testing. There's nothing explicitly written or hinting about the ability in there, but a rise of panic fills me with dread before I settle myself down so as to not look suspicious or anything to any eyes that may be watching.

Ever so innocently, I look back down at my gloves and fidget with them thoughtfully, well aware of Rantaro's attention on me regarding the slight shift in my behavior. Clearly I don't look embarrassed anymore…

 _Maybe if I just leave him in here to find it himself? I'm not breaking any rules if I didn't talk to him about it. Him finding and discovering it on his own should be a reasonable loophole in Monokuma's rules! I hope…!_

…

 _Okay, I'm doing it. I'm leaving._

"A-Ah, I gotta go! I'm keeping Miu waiting, so can you just lock up behind yourself when you're done? _Thankyoubye!"_ I quickly blurt out after a moment of trying not to fold under Rantaro's curious stare, whirling around once I've gotten the words out. Without hesitation, I simply race out the doorway and leap off the second floor platform, landing on all fours and continuing to the exit of the dormitories on the double so Rantaro has no chance to catch up to me.

"Wait a minute- _Prairie!"_ I hear him call after me, but I speed out of the door and simply cross my fingers nervously in hopes he finds the puzzle book interesting enough to go through so he reads my few notes in it. Even if he doesn't understand it now, maybe he will later. That's all the hope I need to keep going for now.

I can see a few of the other ultimates out in the courtyard despite it being night, but I just speed past them and slow down once I'm walking through the doorway into the school. Before I can make a beeline to the warehouse, I pause and bounce my leg impatiently.

 _Now that I think about it, I'll meet with the Monotaro and Monokid first. I don't know how long they'll be waiting, and if they'll leave since I've wasted enough time as is._

I pick up my jog and hit the end of the hall where the stairs are, climbing them and reaching the top in a slight pant before-

 _"Watch it."_

A squeak with an embarrassing volume flies out of me, causing me to flinch back a step and nearly fall down the stairs until a hand snaps out and catches me by the front of my suit.

Maki Harukawa looks anything but amused as she tugs me from the edge of the stairs, a serious and no-nonsense expression etched across her rather pretty face as she stares at me. I can already feel my face heading up with embarrassment yet again, and I quickly cover my cheeks with my hands.

"Thank you...and sorry," I sheepishly say, shyly sliding past her after a beat of a moment in which she doesn't respond. Since she clearly has made it known that the conversation is over, I just continue past her.

 _Wait. Oh no. She's not leaving, she's literally just chilling up here for no reason other than to be alone. That means Maki will see me going into the boys' bathroom, won't she?!_

 _…_

 _Damn it...I'll just run in and make it seem like it's an accident! Yeah, that's clearly my only option- though it doesn't diminish the embarrassing fact that I'll be going into the boys'' restroom._

Red faced, I scurry the rest of the way to the bathrooms and open the boys' bathroom door for refuge in the lion's den.

"Ugh," I huff under my breath, letting the door close behind me and allowing relief to fill up inside me. The feeling is wonderful, liberating, and much needed after all that tension since I woke up from passing out.

Of course, everything good inside me turns to black tar when I hear a toilet from a stall flush.

I practically launch myself into the supply closet a few feet away, opening the door and slipping in as quietly as possible as Kaito Momota exits one of the stalls, stretching and cracking his back as I shut the door and pray to every known deity that he doesn't find me in this predicament.

Typical of Kaito's nature, he whistles a jolly tune to himself as he washes his hands, seemingly oblivious to the fact that someone else entered the bathroom- yet he happens to be the only one still _in_ the bathroom. I can't see what's going on in the bathroom anymore, but I can definitely hear when he's done washing his hands and grabbing paper towels.

…

 _"Ahem."_

My heart quite nearly stops at the cleared voice.

"Don't worry. This didn't happen, and I definitely did _not_ see Perfect Blitz enter the wrong bathroom," I hear Kaito comment seriously on the other side of the door to placate me, though it's a vain effort. I slap my hands over my mouth and forehead in absolute shame with a pathetic sound akin to a dying cat. "Anyways, I'll leave you to it!"

 _Maybe getting murdered via the killing game would actually be a blessing at this point...I'll never be able to look Kaito OR Maki in the eye ever again!_

I hear Kaito exit the bathroom, but I decidedly stay in the closet for a few more seconds before I'm finally no longer petrified and can step out into the bathroom again.

Monokid and Monotaro stand outside of the closet door together, both visibly mortified just by looking at their expressions, likely since I was caught in the wrong bathroom.

"We were hiding under the sinks," Monotaro eventually comments, answering more like a robot than ever before.

"But anyways! We locked it behind him, so there shouldn't be anymore surprise visitors from now on!" Monokid explains with a grin, paws on his hips. Both bears step back to let me exit more of the closet, allowing me to shut the door behind myself. "Now, we wish we could tell you everything we know, even if we don't know the mother load of information, but there's only so much we can tell you. Our AIs have limitations on what we can speak about and we're forced to deny things if we're thrown accusations! It's ANNOYING! But we'll try and share what we can whenever possible here! We'll lock this boys' bathroom at midnight every night and meet you here if we have news or not- anything to try and help!"

"Um…" I twiddle my fingers a little, wondering if it's even a good idea to ask and bring it up, but eventually I concede since I just _need_ to know. I need something to validate my choice in trusting them, especially with Kokichi's multiple warnings. Sure, he can keep pretending he's only looking out for his own skin. Whatever helps him sleep at night. It can't just be that though...admittedly however, that might just be me in denial of his selfishness.

"What is it?" Monotaro inquires, bouncing on his heels again.

"I just...I can see you've both changed your minds about me, and I'm grateful, really. _Extremely_ grateful. But aren't you worried? What if Monokuma does something to you two for being so nice to me? It's not like he doesn't already know, I guess, but...I'm worried anyways. I don't want something bad happening to you two on account of me," I explain, causing both bears to stare quietly as they wait for me to finish. "I'm not really worth it."

…

Monokid suddenly whimpers out of the blue and I blink in surprise as tears start to flow freely down his robotic face. For a moment I'm concerned, but then I can't help but wonder how the monokubss can tear up and cry while Kiibo can't. Poor guy.

"See? I told you she's super sweet! If I was biological, I'd get cavities!" Monotaro exclaims, before Monokid quickly wipes his tears clean and calms himself down.

"We'll be fine! Let US worry about ourselves, we just wanna get you and your friends OUTTA here in one piece!" Monokid exclaims brightly, prompting me to smile a little before I figure it's time we get to business. Both bears seeing my expression shift, straightening up attentively as a result.

"I only have four questions for now. Things I know I need to ask since I'm limited on time and don't know how long Miu is willing to wait for me in the warehouse," I explain before tapping my cheek in contemplation. "I suppose I wouldn't be able to ask _who's_ the traitor among the students, right?"

"What traitor? Traitor?" Monotaro blurts out, seemingly almost startled by how fast it escapes him.

"Never heard of 'em! Whatsa 'traitor'?!" Monokid also joins in, clearly out of protocol going by their behavior. Both bears share a look, obviously frustrated by their AI's problematic state.

 _Actually...the fact that they have a system that denies things might be useful in some way. And it might be possible to overwrite the limitations with Miu's help, although I'm not too sure how willing she would be to help me fix a monokub._

"S-Sorry…" Monotaro dejectedly apologizes, making me smile and pat both of their heads.

"Don't be! By having automatically denied it, you at least confirmed that I'm right in believing there _is_ a traitor among us," I point out with a cheeky smile, watching as the bears perk up eagerly.

"Really? YEAH! We're HELPING!" Monokid cheers, giving a peppy jump as a result.

"Okay, first actual question: the person that uses the secret library dor knows that Rantaro and I found it...right?" I ask, watching as the bears hesitate for a moment. When neither immediately blurt out a denial about the secret library, Monokid lets out a laugh.

"They know! GAH! It's great being able to answer one upfront!" Monokid admits, arms folded behind his head so the spikes of his shoulder gear pokes lightly into the underside of his jaw.

"Yeah, but honestly...we don't know how they and Monokuma know it. I don't know where the cameras are- I haven't seen _any_ around," Monotaro comments, sobering Monokid up as well.

"Hm. Now that ya mention it, I dunno either. Monophanie made a comment about not noticing cameras too, but maybe she knows more than she lets on. We can probably try an' fish somethin' outta her," Monokid responds with a paw on his hip, scratching at the strap of the mini electric guitar across his chest.

"Alright, next one. Does Monokuma really not understand my...abilities? Or is he messing with me?" I inquire, noting how both bears tense up at my query before sharing a look and suddenly huddling closer towards me in a hush-hush manner.

"He really doesn't. You fascinate him because of that fact, so please be careful! He's been following your every move ever since the Kagome, Kagome game...also _sorryaboutthatbytheway!"_ Monotaro explains, quickly tacking on the apology at the end in clear sheepishness that soon melts to relief when I give his head a little pat in understanding.

"We're not exaggerating, by the way. I think he might be obsessed with you a little," Monokid adds uneasily, much to my own discomfort. "Obsessed" is a strong word…

"That answers that, I guess…anyways, there was a tunnel to a possible exit Kaede mentioned. I know she said it's booby trapped like crazy and impossible to get through, but I'd like to know where it is. I want to give it a shot myself using my intuition," I state confidently. "Rantaro may not want me to know because he knows I'll try and go through it, but I can't just _not_ try when I have an ability that could help me get through the entire thing."

Monokid and Monotaro look at each other, one of more concern by my admission.

"Technically we could'a told ya that outside of the bathroom, but...well, it's behind the school where the boiler room is. Under the manhole and shit. There's a ladder that ya gotta be EXTRA careful going down and you should reach a tunnel with a sign that reads 'EXIT'," Monokid concludes. "Just don't get yourself killed, ya hear me? Or else we'll be SAD!"

I smile at Monokids honesty, nearly sinking in the trust blindly before snapping out of it when I replay Kokichi's lingering warnings.

 _"Although, I wonder who's really being used. You or them?"_

Admittedly, Kokichi is really making me think critically, so I'll give him that. I still need to be careful...I can't totally trust Monotaro and Monokid, no matter how much I want to. The circumstances of the killing game prevents me from it.

"I'll be careful then, I promise," I tell them, right before clearing my throat. "Last question for now. Why is it impossible to climb the wall? I figure it's not the distance that makes it impossible."

"Oh, well the metal part of the wall is electrically charged. From what we know, Monokuma says he loves seeing the stubborn ones get, uh, zapped when they try and climb it. No one's ever managed to get past it because of that, and the electrocution does kill according to Monokuma. A-Are you...really gonna climb it?" Monotaro inquires, voice getting soft towards the end until I shake my head and watch him blow out a puff of relief.

"Not after _that_ news. I'll need to figure out if there's some way to get around the electricity issue before I go climbing it," I say, right before putting my hands on my hips and sighing. "Well, that's all for now then. I'll have to go talk to Miu about the electric wall and see her invention to help me climb that segment, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to use it if I can't find a way to turn off the electricity running through the wall."

"Hopefully you can! So we'll meet here again tomorrow at midnight, okay?" Monotaro concludes, to which I nod in agreement and start making my way to the bathroom door.

"We'll leave in ten minutes so your friends don't get any wrong ideas about ya' working for Monokuma or somethin'!" Monokid agrees, giving a wave of his paw.

"Alright. T-Thank you again, you two. I really appreciate this, you have no idea how much I do," I comment, smiling somewhat bittersweet since I know it's impossible to put all my faith in them when it's not just me who's life is on the line.

"Be careful!" I hear Monotaro call after me.

With that, I push open the door and step out, hearing the door shut behind me and reaching down to pull out my monopad so I can scan all the rules again. Supposedly, wouldn't it also be possible to drag everyone into the boys bathroom to explain things? Hm...probably not. Monokuma isn't dumb, he would know and he would likely stop us so we don't hole up in there.

Why he'd let _me_ go in with the traitor monokubs though, I've got no idea. Maybe it's him making a mistake by thinking I won't be able to do anything?

"Um...?" I jump almost two feet in the air, turning around to see Gonta jump a step back as a result with an embarrassed expression. "Oh! Sorry for scare! Gonta see Small Prairie come out of bathroom and decide to greet! Makes Gonta confused though."

I relax after seeing him, smiling before replaying his words in my head. "Confused? About what?" I inquire curiously, trying to keep my embarrassment in check without my dry curls for protection.

"Oh, Gonta told bathroom for boys' only for boys, and girls' bathroom only for girls. Gonta no really understand either since there is box stalls inside anyways. When Gonta see Small Prairie come out from bathroom for boys, Gonta relieved Gonta not only one confused!"

 _Augh! He's got the wrong idea!_

"No no no, Gonta! I-I'm not confused, I just walked into the wrong bathroom and didn't realize it was the boys' until after! Please don't tell anyone you saw me coming out of the boys' bathroom, Gonta- it's embarrassing! If this gets to _Kokichi_ , I'll die!" I beg pathetically as I grab his much larger hands in mine to win him over with my lie. It's not a good feeling to know I'm lying to his face, especially with how much of a sweetheart he is, but I have no choice. I certainly can't tell him the _truth_.

"O-oh! No worry, Small Prairie! We no tell, promise! Right, Kokichi?" Gonta cheerfully comments, just as Kokichi suddenly steps out from behind Gonta's massive frame with a scary downright horrifying grin one would probably find in the depths of hell.

I let out a mortified squawk at his appearance and turn tail, bolting straight down the hall without a second thought as blood rushes to my face in a horrible flush that overheats my face and keeps it red all the way to the warehouse. As soon as I open the door and jump in, I slam the door shut behind me without hesitation.

The sound echoes through the warehouse, and out pops Miu from behind a low shelf with a small shriek at my noisy entry.

"H-Hey! What the fuck's the big idea- _oh!"_ She cuts herself off when she turns to see me pressed back against the door to catch my breath, prompting the Ultimate Inventor to relax with a giddy smile. "Finally! I almost thought you weren't coming or somethin', you sure took your sweet damn time! Were you sucking face with that green tower, or-"

"That _stupid_ rat!" I eventually blurt out with barely contained anger as I try to pace my heavy breathing from the run.

"Eh? Rat…" Miu repeats thoughtfully, before it seems to click in her head by the expression of horror she makes after a second. "You were sucking face with _Kokichi?!"_

"Wha- _no!_ No way I'd ever have my face anywhere _near_ that rat! Ugh, that stupid jerk found me coming out of the wrong restroom...it was a stupid accident," I explain, feeling my red cheeks settle somewhat as I come to terms with the embarrassing situation. "Nearly everyone else knows anyways, so there's no point in denying it anymore."

Miu seems curious, eyes shining as she walks closer to where I am beside the entrance. When she seems to notice the mild irritated look still on my face, she puts her hands on her hips and bites her lip in thought.

"Well, if Cockichi squeals on you anymore, let me know! That fuckin' twerp better back off, or it won't just be Tenko beating the ever-loving shit outta him! Don't worry, karma'll light his ass on fire eventually!" Miu brightly exclaims with that laugh of hers, where it sounds more like she's saying the "ha-ha-ha" rather than it being just a natural laughter.

I wince a little, though I can't help but snicker a little at her nickname for him as my irritation mostly dissipates. Still, I almost forgot how crude this girl was with her vulgar manner of speaking. Admittedly, she may be crude, but she's more-or-less well meaning.

"That being said...sorry I took so long getting here. I took a nap and overslept on accident," I apologize sheepishly, lying yet again much to my own displeasure.

"Ah, don't worry about it! I oversleep all the time too!" She quickly says in agreement with eager eyes before looking back at the shelf she was once behind. "I finished the shit I was making for you climb already! Just added a few finishing touches- but it's ready to rock your fuckin' socks! You wanna take a look?"

"Sure," I agree, following her as she jumps a little in excitement and takes my hand to lead me on over. Am I just a person with hand-holding potential, or are people forgetting I'm seventeen just like them?

 _Ah, I can worry about that later._

"Ta-da!" Miu stops and releases my hand to gesture to her work with a grand sweep of her arm as she poses beside it, a blinding grin across her features. "Feast your eyes, Perfect Blitz! There wasn't a lot to work with, but just like how my body is naturally magnificent, my _genius_ brain made some equally magnificent climbing gear!"

"Wait, are these _magnets?_ Like they'll cling to the metal of the wall?" I ask, getting down on the floor and eyeing the strange contraptions she's created. It's welded in several areas with finesse and expertise, portions bearing wires between hand magnets and feet magnets of each side.

"Yeah! This shit uses _electro_ magnetism, actually! I saw this guy make something like it on the internet, but the fuckwad didn't polish it well enough in my opinion. But anyways, it should help you climb the wall by clinging to the steel! It's a system that has a button that controls the magnet's release on either the left arm and leg, or the right respectively. Also, I added a fail-safe so that shit doesn't release from both sides if you press both buttons, so it'll only release both if you press both buttons two times in succession. Pretty fuckin' cool, right?! It can hold up someone like Gonta, so that means it can hold you up too!"

"Yeah, it's cool! B-But...how did you manage to make it with only the stuff in here? Electromagnetism sounds sorta complex for what's provided in here…" I explain, curiously looking around at the more-than basic assets.

"Don't worry about that, it wasn't too hard for a goddess like me! It just really comes to me easy, which is so damn great!" She chortles, clearly delighted by her creation. "So when are you planning to climb? Now, or what?"

I shake my head, sighing when I remember the problem brought up to me by Monotaro and Monokid.

"I had to change my climbing plans, so I'll probably do it tomorrow if I can find what I need to find in time. Apparently, what makes the stupid wall impossible to climb is the fact that the metal part is electrically charged- so I need to find a way to cut the power of the wall so I can climb it without getting fried," I answer, standing up after inspecting the backpack attached via wires to the electromagnetic climbing gear.

 _Miu as an inventor with electrical and engineering knowledge might have some idea how to find the power source for the wall, right? It couldn't hurt to ask…_

"Hey, do you know where Monokuma might have a generator for the walls power supply, Miu?" I ask, prompting the blonde to perk up more and tap a finger on her chin.

"Well...I can think of 3 possible places. On ground level somewhere around the courtyard, underground either in a basement or bunker type of thing, or if we're unlucky as fuck, it's outside past the shit wall on ground level or underground," Miu gives her input, grimacing at the last point.

Outside the wall...well, that would be the worst possible thing if we can't find it in here- 'cause then I won't be able to climb the wall, and Miu's hard work would have been in vain.

 _Maybe if we get everyone to go look around the enclosure for a generator? ...no, that's a stupid idea. Getting help means Rantaro knowing- and I'm not sure how reasonable he'd be regarding me climbing the wall. Even if I_ _ **am**_ _the Ultimate Rock Climber._

"Alright, well we should hide it in here for now until I can find that power generator for the wall. Once I know I've cut the power, I'll come back to get the climbing gear," I say, receiving a hum from Miu as she considers my words and then nods her head in agreement.

"Alright, Blitz, you can count on this bitch here!" She chirps, pounding a hand to her chest and making me wince before I respond. "Ah, j-just call me Prairie please."

Miu looks surprised for a moment, even taking a small step back before I notice color coat her cheeks when she gives me a big smile.

"Oh! Sure! You got it!" She manages after a second, eyes half dazed as her imagination seems to drift off for whatever reason.

 _I just asked her to use my real name...everyone else is calling me Prairie. It's not that big of a deal really, but I guess super-fan Miu thinks otherwise? I don't know. Whatever the reason, I'd rather not be called "Blitz", that's all._

"One last thing: try not to let Rantaro know I'm gonna be climbing the wall. He might try and stop me or stop you if he figures it out. He means well, but...bottom line, he can be an idiot when it comes to what I can handle," I add mercilessly, making Miu's expression harden in understanding as she nods again.

"My lips are as sealed as the Queen of England's p-"

 _"Good! Righty-o!"_ I cut her off, eyes wide and cheeks red when I realize what she was about to say, prompting Miu to give me a critical look before she grins smugly my way.

"You may be more of a prude now, but just so you know...I learned all the shit I know from _you~!"_ She laughs, a charmed expression etched on her face as she turns to pop the electromagnetic climbing gear in a box together with her tools and hoists the box up in her arms with a grin.

Her statement about her learning her crude ways from me is somewhat disturbing, but the news soon dissolves in the back of my mind when I watch her tuck the box behind another on a high shelf and then make her way out of the warehouse. I follow out behind her quietly, looking back to make sure I remember exactly where she hid the box..

"See you later, Bl- I mean, _Prairie!"_ Miu corrects herself in time, turning and making her way to the school exit. At the doorway out she glances back at me one last time, to which I offer her a last wave so she leaves with a gleeful grin.

 _Alright, I've dealt with the most important stuff...now to find the generator that powers the electricity of the wall. What if the same generator powers that booby trapped tunnel too? And it's all it takes to get out of here?_

 _...No, something tells me it wouldn't be that easy. Not that taking out the electricity in the wall will be easy either._

"Puhuhu! You're ever the pain, aren't you, Miss Marble?"

Frowning and feeling my muscles lock up defensively, I look back to see Monokuma behind me in the hall, standing under one of the lights with his ever present half-grin laden with hunger for despair.

"What do you want?" I ask sourly, tone taking on a sliver of disgust until he pulls something out from behind his back. My heart skips a beat, but I try not to look too surprised to see it.

"It" being the sudoku puzzle book I'd left in hopes that Rantaro would find it.

"Miss Marble...do I look like I was born yesterday? I ask this in not a literal way of course, but in an intellectual sense," Monokuma says more than asks, eyes narrowed on me like a laser. I try not to let anything show in my expression, nervous of what breaking one of the "ugly" rules results in. Not that I _did_ break any rules though...not that Monokuma's explicitly aware of. "Did you think you were being sneaky? Playing dumb like that? Very nice try."

Monokuma tosses the blood speckled book at my feet across the space between us, letting it hit my feet before he gives another laugh.

"A pain, but an _interesting_ pain, that's for sure! How about we make a deal, Miss Perfect Blitz?" Monokuma suggests, grinning just a smidgen wider.

 _A deal? Something tells me that any deal I could make with him would be rigged in_ _ **his**_ _favor. Why would he want to make a deal anyways?_

"What makes you think I'm dumb enough to make a deal with you?"

"Puhuhu! Well, if you want to climb the wall so badly...maybe it's in your best interest to at least listen," Monokuma thoughtfully comments, an innocent lilt in his statement. "I'll turn off the electricity to the wall if you do!"

I shut up at that, glaring at Monokuma distastefully. Sure, I guess I might as well listen, but he's mental if he thinks he's already got me hooked. At least this means I won't need to search for the electric generator now.

As if noticing my compliance to listen, Monokuma continues where he left off.

"Okay then! I'll look away this time and won't punish youfor your little fiasco with giving your green boy-toy hints. He won't get in trouble for what he saw- in fact he was too dense to understand your anecdotes! And _you_ won't get in trouble for giving the hint! BUT!" Monokuma pauses as if to make the deal more dramatic. Rather than wait, I make an exasperated sigh that seems to somewhat irritate the dual monochrome bear. "In return…"

This time Monokuma's expression becomes frightening, enough that my heart skips a beat as I register an oncoming injunction I already know I'm not going to like.

"If you see a murder is to occur, you are _**forbidden**_ _ **from**_ _ **interfering**_ _ **or**_ _ **attempting to stop**_ _ **it."**_

I give him a long stare, hating the deal entirely. Here he is, offering me something I know I need...and then giving me something I can't possibly agree to. Monokuma expects me to just stand by and cover my eyes if I happen to come across a possible murder? I'm not a monster like he is, I could _never_ do that!

...but that deal.

Why would he want me to agree with something like that? Does he think I'll agree to it just to save my own skin from punishment? I'll gladly play another Kagome, Kagome game or something if it means not agreeing to that. Besides, at least the electricity to the wall will be off for me to climb it tonight.

"I'll pass on that deal, thanks but no thanks," I curtly answer, causing the bear to snicker in dark amusement.

"Oh! Okay! I guess I'll just go turn off the electricity quickly and switch it back on then!" Monokuma says brightly with a grin, causing my temper to spike slightly.

"What? But you said-" I object, before Monokuma holds up a paw to cut me off with a laugh as he clarifies, "Yeah, I said I'd turn it off- but I didn't say I'd _leave_ it off! I'll only do _that_ if you agree to my terms, Miss Marble!"

I narrow my eyes and take a step towards him.

"You snake…" I growl under my breath angrily. "There's no way I'd _ever_ agree to something like that. If I see a murder being planned, I'm gonna be all over it to make sure it _doesn't_ happen. I'll cut the power to the wall on my own! I don't need to make a deal with a useless piece of scrap metal like you!"

"Aww! You're so cute~!" Monokuma laughs, holding his round belly with a charming smile of awe as I glare daggers at him. Hearing it from Kokichi? Annoying and embarrassing. Hearing it from Monokuma? It makes me absolutely sick. Someone one like _him_ doesn't get to call me anything remotely close to "cute". "I'm not trying to antagonize you, Miss Marble! Not too much, at least. Don't take it so personal is all I'm saying. Relax!"

"You're mental," I huff, my face twisted in a snarl that I probably couldn't wipe off even if I wanted to. "What sort of game are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing any game other than the _Killing Game_ , of course! It's amusing to see you squabble and run around all alone in your efforts to save everyone from their inevitable fates. Ah…I'm going to miss you when they murder you," Monokuma comments off-handedly, causing my throat to lock up and my back to straighten when I replay his words in my head.

What did he just say?

Did I hear him right?

He just said "when they murder you"...

" _They_ "? Someone's going to try and murder me? Or is he talking about the time limit with the Exisals?

Wouldn't he say, "when they murder all of you" if he was talking about the time limit? That was definitely him singling me out as a victim...

"Well! If you change your mind, you can find me in the cage garden! If you agree to the deal, I'll make sure the power to the wall stays off so you can climb it! Of course it goes without saying that you won't be able to tell anyone about what you see on the other side...but at least you'll have some more answers!"

I'm still too petrified to say anything. What would be the point of agreeing to any deal _now_ if I'm really going to get murdered?

 _Relax! Read the context clues! If he's offering me a deal where a term is to not stop a murder I see, it might not be that I'm going to get murdered_ _ **yet.**_ _He might just be talking about someone currently having a desire to murder me...which is not at all comforting either._

 _ **...or maybe he's saying I need to agree to not stop my own murder.**_

"What's wrong? Bear got your tongue? _Puhuhu~!"_

…

I'm not going to stand by if I see someone planning a murder, even my _own_ murder. But…I need to get up that wall. I don't think I have the luxury of trying to find it on my own. Something tells me he's giving me a chance to agree later because he knows I won't be able to find the generator.

"Fine. If there's a murder, I'll just close my eyes or something," I answer with a grimace after a second, prompting Monokuma to smile wider so that his sharp teeth on his left side catch the light and gleam as bright as his red eye. He looks like a cat that's just caught it's prey, which makes my stomach churn a little as a result.

"Great! In that case, I'll turn off the power to the wall! Feel free to climb it tonight or tomorrow night! We need our entertainment!" Monokuma laughs, much to my quiet irritation.

When it comes down to it, it's _always_ about his entertainment, isn't it? Why does that matter so much to him? If hosting these Killing Games is so boring for him, why doesn't he just quit? No one else is watching us but him! ...possibly. I did theorize it earlier that other people could be watching us, I guess. That might be a reason why entertainment matters, but there's no way to prove something like that.

 _Danganronpa._

Hm...they kidnapped us. An organization. We could be entertainment for them, right?

"Don't forget though! _Tick-tock!_ I won't be extending the time limit if you wait too long to climb it or _take_ too long! That time limit motive still holds up, and if there isn't a murder the day after tomorrow before the end of the time limit, everybody dies!" Monokuma cheerfully explains, right before his smile becomes sinister again. _"Even you, Prairie Marble."_

Monokuma turns and bounds away with that last warning, leaving me to reflect on the conversation- and our deal at that.

 _What did I just agree to, and will I end up being the one that regrets trying to trick Monokuma again? I never said I wouldn't stop a murder, after all…_

 _Just that I'd close my eyes._

 _ **End of 2.11 - Worse Than A Deal With A Devil**_


	24. 2:12 - Ascent

_**2.12 - Ascent**_

I turn and march back into the warehouse after Monokuma's confrontation, returning to the shelf where I remember seeing Miu hide the climbing gear she invented and shoving the Sudoku puzzle book in the back of my belt where I don't have to carry it with my hands. Getting on my tiptoes, I pick up a box and haul it out of the way to grab the box Miu shoved in, carefully pulling it out of it's slot on the shelf and making sure it doesn't take me down with its weight if it happens to be too heavy.

 _"Prairie Doooog~"_

I stiffen up, pausing in my efforts to slide the respective box off the shelf so I can glance back over my shoulder. Unsurprisingly, it's of course Kokichi. After all, he overheard my conversation about meeting up with Miu in here earlier, so why _wouldn't_ he check it out? Someone as nosy as him doesn't let things like these slip his notice.

 _"Go away,"_ I huff as our eyes meet, turning away from the rat with the much-too-innocent deceitful grin that's usually plastered to his face. "I've had enough of you and I refuse to deal with you anymore."

"Oh, really? If that's true, why are you talking to me? Shouldn't this be the part where you give me the silent treatment again?" He asks curiously with a sweet tone just as I finally pull the box from its slot on the shelf. Thankfully, it's not as heavy as I expected it to be and I sigh in mild relief. Maybe it's dumb of me to not have thought Miu would consider making it lighter so I could climb with it. She may be vulgar, but I've got to give her credit where credit is due.

As for Kokichi, that dumb rat ought to know I've realized _ignoring him_ clearly doesn't work. We danced that tango last time, so I'm simply going to put my foot down and firmly state my stance rather than pretend he doesn't exist.

"Just make like a tree and leave," I add, putting the box down and flinching with a small squeaky yip of surprise when Kokichi throws his arms over my shoulders from behind and slumps against my back with a dramatic sigh.

"But Mousey-mouse, trees don't mooove...!" He whines annoyingly, barely resisting when I quickly shrug him off of me, take a few steps back, and whirl around to face him irritably.

"Put an egg in your shoe and beat it. Make like a banana and split. What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand? You're annoying me and I don't want you around. Why don't you go bother Rantaro or Kaito- someone else _but_ me! I'm trying to get us out of here and you keep getting in my way like a roach or-" I cut myself off as realization hits me, causing me to stare at Kokichi quietly when I notice his piercing stare. He just continues to smile back, making a point to flutter his eyelashes and turn his body either side in a playful motion that only bugs me even more.

 _I'm being distracted, but I don't know from what. What did he do and when did he do it?_

I reach for my key ring and tap them to check if my two room keys and the key for the classroom on the second floor are still there.

"Nee-hee-hee!" He laughs as I pat myself for my monopad and clips, finding nothing he could have taken since everything that's usually on my person is still on me. I turn my glare towards him.

"What did you do?" I demand, causing a look of hurt and sadness cross his features as a result of my pointed stare.

"H-Huh? I didn't...why are you always so quick to accuse me of things? That really hurts my-"

"'Feelings'? What feelings? You're just a slab of meat that's dead inside and walks around bothering people," I snap suddenly, irritated yet sensible enough to feel guilt bubble up inside me immediately when I hear what's just come out of my own mouth. More guilt forms when I see Kokichi slightly pause as a result of my words.

 _Oh shoot. That was a terrible thing to say, even to him...! Did I cross a line with him? Oh crap, I don't actually think that, I just wanted him to not bug me! Ugh, why do I do these kinds of things?_

"...I'm sorry!" I squeak after a moment, face getting red hot with shame as I cover my blush with my hands. "I take that back, I'm just...angry...again..."

"Meow. That _cat-titude_ though! No wonder Rantaro has his hands full with you!" Kokichi actually laughs, only making me blush more in embarrassment.

 _I...I shouldn't be feeling sorry for anything! He's been causing me grief since_ _way_ _before! Where's_ _his_ _apology to me? He's not sorry about anything he ever does!_

I narrow my eyes on him again, dropping my hands as my blush settles. For a moment, I consider telling him something else. Throwing another quip at him for how irritating he's being, _without_ an apology to clean off the salt in the wound. As if noticing my temper return, he grins and lets out a laugh.

"I see that look, you're _mad_ again! Come on, say something else~! Roast me more, I wanna hear what else you've got!" Kokichi urges, looking rather entertained for having been called 'dead inside'.

 _For all I know, he probably is. This guy wouldn't know guilt if it came up to him and struck him across the face with a crowbar._

In the end though, I think about what Rantaro would do and sigh as I turn away to pick up what I see is a chalk bag and a rope Miu left me in the box for climbing, allowing my anger to dissipate to a reasonable level of mild irritation rather than the usual explosiveness it normally is.

 _No, being hostile towards him even just verbally probably isn't the best option. Me getting angry only ever just entertains him._

"Nothing? Awe, come on, Prairie Dog, where's your spit fire?"

I roll my eyes as I attach the chalk back to one of the blue clips at my belt along with my rope, pulling my gloves off to ready my hands for climbing.

 _Nevermind, I take back what I decided earlier. He gets the silent treatment again._

Taking the climbing device out of the box and making sure the foot and hand attachments are securely hooked to the backpack before pulling it on, I move to walk out of the warehouse quickly. I can hear Kokichi follow me out, causing my legs to move faster as I ignore him.

"Ah, there's the silent treatment! You don't actually think you can lose me, do you?" I hear him behind me down the hall.

His footsteps start to get faster. I pick up the pace as well, up until something hits me like a stone to the head- a result of Monokuma's casual drop of letting me know someone is interested in murdering me.

 _What if Kokichi's the one trying to murder me?_

My heart gives a nervous lurch, making me speed up until I'm full on running. I think I hear him say something, but it doesn't change the fact that he's running after me and that I'm paranoid.

 _He has a knife on him at all times. I don't even know if he likes me at all, other than as a toy to torment and annoy. What if he's been catching me in all these moments with him alone to reinforce some sort of trust in him? To make me believe that even though he's a rat, he's not going to kill me for a way out of here?_

I'm at a pretty good sprint as I burst out of the school, making a mad dash for the wall behind the caged garden and dipping a hand in my chalk bag. I'm going pretty fast, he probably isn't _that_ fast, right?

"Hey, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi just happens to call maybe a few feet behind me, causing my stride to widen to get further away from him.

 _God, why does he have to be such a pain?_

I run around the garden and let out a heavy breath as I reach the wall, jumping to grab a good handle on the rocky surface and letting out a startled squeal when I feel a hand slam down on my shoulder. With the force of the hand bringing me back down to Earth, I whirl around and lift up a fist, facing Kokichi and freezing when I notice his expression go blank from his usual grin at the sight of my expression and fighting stance.

...

"Jeez, I'm not gonna _kill_ you!" He suddenly laughs, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. All he ever does is laugh things off and act like he's having the time of his life. He doesn't take any of this seriously, does he? Not even _now?_

"Are you sure about that?"

He shuts up, smiling and releasing my shoulder to cross his arms behind his neck.

"I dunno. I might change my mind later, who knows? Or I might go for Himiko or Kaito. Those aloof doofs seem easier to pick off," Kokichi comments as he eyes me carefully with that grin of his.

"...that's not funny," I inform him sourly, before he casually responds back with, "I wasn't trying to be."

I make a face and start to turn away, pausing before I totally give him my back.

"Could you just...step back a few feet?" I ask, feeling my cheeks heat up from my obvious paranoia.

Kokichi chuckles a little in amusement, stepping back a suitable amount of feet from me at my request.

Only once I'm sure he isn't going to do anything do I finally turn away and start climbing the wall again. Nothing happens the first few feet up the wall. No teasing, no comments, no knives being buried in my backside. Eventually the higher I climb, the more relaxed I become. By the time I'm at level with the top of the caged garden again, that nostalgic comfort of isolation I felt before while walking through the school alone the other night returns.

I'm the only one on this wall and it makes me feel safe. I'm untouchable up here. A wall won't heckle me or play with my feelings, nor will it judge or scold me for mistakes I make. It's what supports me in my endeavors.

 _Jeez, I really am the Ultimate Rock Climber, huh?_

Curious, I pause my climbing and look back down behind me, surprising to see just how far I've gotten. I've climbed slightly faster this time than last time- presumably since this is the same path on the wall I was taking last time.

"Prairie!"

I look down at the voice, squinting a little due to the darkness of the night. I can barely make out anything, but I eventually spot Kokichi from his white outfit. I can't really tell who's next to him though, but it sounded like a girl...maybe Kaede or even Kirumi?

 _Oh well, I can't really tell in the dark. I can only barely make out Kokichi, but that's it. At least it's not-_

 _"PRAIRIE!"_

I flinch and turn away to press my forehead against the wall with a small whine of shame at the sound of a familiar voice yelling in obvious disapproval.

 _That's Rantaro alright. Not happy with my actions as per usual._

Glancing up, I estimate how much more I have to go- as I'm pretty close to the spot where I gave up climbing the wall last time. It'll be pitch black by the time I reach the metal part of the wall...but I don't have time to wait till tomorrow morning to do this. I can't quit now, I have other things I need to focus on tomorrow.

And so I keep climbing, wondering about whatever conversation might be going on between the people at the bottom of the wall. I have to dip my hands in chalk every now and then, but the temperature is cool enough that I don't have to frequent the bag thankfully. Had the night been hotter, I'd be sweating it off pretty quickly.

 _Come to think of it...the weather has been oddly consistent day in and day out. It's neither been too hot or too cold any of the past days or even nights for that matter. One would expect the night to be chillier, but it feels like the same breeze at night as during the day._

...

I glance up at the sky through the bars of the even larger cage enclosing us in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. The stars have come out already.

 _Leave the brainstorming for later, it's too early to be assuming anything yet. I'll get to the top eventually and get my answers either way- even if I'm forbidden from telling the others._

I feel my hands along the wall and purse my lips when I feel a flat slab of rock. I'm getting close now if I've finally reached the flattened portion of rock...which means it's smearing time.

Using maneuvers I barely recall when thinking about it, my body takes control and I dig my boot against the flat surface to gain vertical ground, climbing slower now that the rocky edges aren't as basic as the segment below.

 _What if Rantaro was right about worrying over me? Maybe this was a bad idea. I would definitely die if I fell from this distance- and Ryoma was right before about saying I'd probably kill Gonta if he were to try and catch me from a height like this._

Despite my second thoughts, my movements are sure-footed and I don't feel nervous on the wall. I'm not even afraid of slipping or making a wrong move.

For a moment I'm totally in the zone and climbing with little care, breathing in the night air and relishing in the breeze until I'm distracted. Not enough that I release my grip on the wall or slip up a movement, but it does surprise me enough that I pause and blink my eyes as light suddenly coats the wall- save for the spot before me and slightly above where I can see the form of my shadow stretch across the wall of rock.

 _It's_ _night, yet_ _suddenly_ _I_ _can_ _see_ _the_ _wall_ _and_ _there's_ _light_ _all_ _around_ _me?_ _Huh...it's_ _not_ _natural_ _light,_ _but_ _where_ _is_ _it_ _even_ _coming_ _from...?_

I turn to look down, only to raise my eyebrows when I see just how high I am. I wouldn't just die at a fall from this height, I'd be _unrecognizable._

"PRAIRIE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" I hear Kiibo's voice from below echo up using his voice amplifier, seeing the light shining over me coming from floodlights lined around the cage and manned from what I can barely make out to be the monokubs and Monokuma.

I can finally make out the people below just by the colors they bear, including Kokichi, Kaede, Rantaro, Kiibo, Miu, and Korekiyo.

 _Let me guess: "Prairie, get down from there"?_

"DON'T PANIC, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND CONVINCE MONOKUMA TO HELP YOU DOWN!"

I make a face and glare at their spots on the ground. Close enough to what I thought...but there's no way I'll wait to get helped down when I worked so hard the past hour or so to get all the way up here.

From below Miu makes a gesture to Kiibo, but whatever she might be saying is impossible to tell. Knowing her, she's probably being rude to him and defending my "honor" as the Ultimate Rock Climber. I appreciate her faith in me.

Unlike _some_ people...

I pointedly look back at Rantaro and Kiibo, turning my head back up and inhaling sharply when I see just how close I am to the metal wall- which has some of that easy climbable textured wall just a few feet away from where I am. It's great I won't have to go through the trouble of trying to put on the climbing gear Miu made while on a flattened slab like this, the barely present edges would make it difficult to pull it on without slipping.

Seeing the craggy rock above, I start to resume my climb much to Kiibo's clear disapproval.

"PRAIRIE, WHY ARE YOU STILL CLIMBING? PLEASE JUST STAY STILL!"

Nope.

 _Why should I? I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber, the others said I've done crazier climbs several times before in my life. If I'm capable of this, which I feel I am considering how high I've managed to get already, I'm going to use it to our benefit. If they want to underestimate me, fine, but that doesn't mean I'll abide to their rules just to comfort their anxiety._

I reach the rugged part of the wall and start pulling myself up using the wonderful grips, allowing my leg to bend at a more flexible than normal angle to pull myself up straight. The rest of the climb towards the end of the rock where the metal wall begins is relatively easy, and I don't stop climbing until I finally reach the metal part.

 _Here it is. The part where the metal slab begins._

A sigh escapes me after a moment and I catch my breath from all the effort I've put in the entire way up. It's probably been nearly two hours climbing up this wall, and I still have a metal slab to scale despite that.

Anchoring myself on a good protruding rock with my arm, my free hand begins to work on grabbing the attachments holding the climbing gear. It takes meticulous and careful movements to get the climbing gear strapped to me, the red buttoned handles of the magnets strapped to my hands with the buttons just under my thumbs. Getting the magnets strapped to my feet takes even _more_ work, but I eventually get them attached.

 _Okay, so the magnets aren't on right now and...Miu never told me how to activate them. Shoot...well, she did say turning both magnets "off" to release the electromagnetism on either side meant double pressing the buttons simultaneously, so-_

Pressing both buttons without thinking like an idiot, I let out a squeak of surprise as the magnets of my hands fly up and lock hard against the wall. I'm yanked up hard off of that one rock I'd been leaning on, feeling it scrape hard over the front of my suit just over my collar and chest as it rips the fabric of my suit open.

I let out a hiss at the sudden pain, cringing and eventually relaxing as the pain becomes bearable. Looking down, I make a sour expression at the rip of my suit. Sheesh, I bloodied one outfit and now I've ripped another one. Great, I'll be out of extra clothing from the monokubs secret stash at this rate.

Looking up, I relax a little more when I see my hands attached firmly to the handles of the magnetic mechanism. The straps for the arms are a great touch in case my grip starts to somewhat loosen, though I better make the climb fast. My hands will be sweaty soon from the effort and I can't get into my chalk bag anymore with the magnets on...

 _I'm gonna have to pull myself higher up just using my hands since I can't use my feet and climbing boots with these chunky things. I'll need to make this climb quick. Maybe I should use my intuition to help me speed it up?_

Taking a deep breath, I make a choice and close my eyes.

 _Hopefully I'm not using it too soon._

I swing my body hard and press the button on one magnet, bringing the magnet up as it releases the wall and then locking it in place higher above me when I let go of the button. Getting into a rhythm, I continue the climb like that until I can get the magnets of my feet on the wall- speeding up once I'm able to move two limbs at a time.

Kiibo's gone relatively quiet, so I look back over my shoulder and down below out of curiosity to see who's down there. When I realize more people have joined, but can't exactly tell who other than that it's quite nearly everyone, I count the amount of heads.

... _IT'S LITERALLY EVERYONE._

Heat crawls up to my face and I turn back to the wall quickly, relaxing my nerves and closing my eyes to get back to climbing so I don't have to think about the fact that everyone here, despite the late hour it is, happens to be watching my ascent to climb the wall.

Although I'm somewhat embarrassed, I admittedly acknowledge the pride that forms in my gut knowing they can see me do something rather incredible with their own two eyes. In fact, it's incredible to me- and I'm the one doing all the climbing in the first place. How was I even able to have climbed even a fraction of this? It just seems beyond the human limit...is that what classifies us as Ultimates? Being able to do what we specialize in better than others in the same specialization?

Kaede must be an incredible pianist in that case...and Rantaro's got to be one hell of an adventurer. Even though Kokichi abuses his skills, he definitely checks all the boxes regarding being an Ultimate Supreme Leader, or to simplify the title- a leader.

 _I wonder if I'm being too arrogant in thinking I can handle this. It's not arrogance if I know what I'm capable of and have applied it before, right? Hm...less introspection, more climbing._

And so I tread on, muscles burning and heart pounding like a jackhammer. At this point, not even the consistent cool breeze helps with the rise in my temperature I've been experiencing, and I ignore the feeling of sweat beginning to line the skin between my palms and the grips on Miu's climbing gear.

 _I can do this. This isn't hard. I don't have time to be scared. I just have to keep going up._

I'm in such a zone that I'm honestly surprised when I eventually lift my magnet and have it slam sideways on the wall. I look up when I realize the magnet isn't hitting the wall anymore.

"Finally...!" I grunt, pulling myself up using the magnets over the cages top and double tapping the buttons to release their electromagnetic grip on the steel only once I'm on the thick rim standing on both feet steadily. The rim of the wall is about as thick as Kaito is high with his six foot height.

Now...on the other side of the wall...

It just looks like normal night sky. As far as the eye can see, it's an expanse of inky darkness, speckled with stars all around. I can't see anything else _but_ sky.

 _I still feel like there's something wrong with it. When it's daytime...we can see buildings, right? Shouldn't I see them from here? Where are they? I can't even see the shadowed silhouettes of them, but they_ _should_ _be there._

 _So why are they not?_

"OKAY, CONGRATULATIONS, PRAIRIE! YOU GOT TO THE TOP! NOW STAY- _NO!_ PRAIRIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING?!"

I've faced the thick bar of the cage and have double tapped the buttons of the electromagnetic climbing gear again, now climbing the massive thick bar of the cage to get even higher- eyes narrowed on the very top of the cage as my goal. Something tells me I won't get my answer until I get up there, so-

 _"Yee-eep!"_ I yelp when I suddenly feel my weight drop, heart giving a surprised jerk until I stop, blinking a little as I feel the ribbon in my hair go loose from the swing of my body. I look up and find it to be down, only then realizing that gravity has betrayed me in my climb as a result of the cylinder shape of the thick bar in how it isn't a flat surface.

As I hang upside down, I hear Kiibo's voice yet again.

"PRAIRIE, PLEASE, THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU'RE ALREADY AT THE TOP! I'M GOING TO BLOW A CIRCUIT AT THIS RATE IF I KEEP WATCHING!"

 _Then close your eyes, wise guy?_

I carefully continue my climb, hearing Kiibo's dramatic groan of frustration and horror when he notices.

Probably as a result of being upside down, using my intuition to help me move faster makes me feel slight nausea, and I stop using it after a couple of minutes to keep from another problem like what happened earlier in my room. No sense in inducing blood vomiting this high up- one, it'd be disgusting, and two, I would never live it down.

I open my eyes and resume my careful climb slower, only stopping again once I hit the very top of the cage and look down again.

 _I did it! I'm at the very top, I climbed the impossible to climb wall!_

I look back at the straps of the magnets and try to climb so I can get myself right-side up again, only to grunt in disapproval when the magnet slides me back down from the shape of the cylinder.

 _Oh no. I think I'm going to have to do something no one's gonna like... I can't get up with the magnets, so that means I'll need to abandon them here._

I swallow thickly and release the button for my right hand, holding it down and then carefully bringing my hand to my teeth to start tearing open the velcro securing me to the magnet. Once I can wriggle my arm out of it (as this one was a little loose initially since I had to strap it on using my teeth as well), I release the button and let the magnets pull off of my hand with a loud clang as it sticks fast to the wall.

That's one...

My hand gravitates towards the rope hooked to the left side of my hips, unclipping it and being careful not to drop it as I get it untied.

 _Be careful, be careful, there's no rush. Better to take my time than fall to my death._

As I continue to remind myself not to be so careless, I eventually get the rope tied in a complex knot to one of my clips after much tinkering with my teeth. Considering I'm currently one-handed, I'm actually sorta impressed I managed to make the knot. Especially since my hands are so slick and clammy from exertion. By the time I'm up, I'm sure I'll see blisters on either hand.

Grabbing the ball of rope, I prepare and pull back my arm to get ready to throw it over the bar I'm still magnetically attached to. After a second of consideration however, I pause mid reeling back. What if I miss?

Rather than risking missing my target around the bar, my eyes slide shut regretfully. My heart skips a beat as I trust my intuition to throw the rope in an arc, managing to catch it easily using my one arm despite the awkward angle I have to turn to do so. When I open my eyes again, I feel something trickle down my cheek and towards my ear, causing me to wipe at it with a small grunt. Following the trail to my nostrils, I grimace as a result. The first warning of backlash from using my intuition.

I shake off my discomfort and tie the rope around the metal bar in another sturdy knot to make sure I'm completely secured to the other end of the rope. Looking up to glance at the night sky past the cage, I reach down and chalk my single hand before undoing the straps of my feet magnets and allowing my legs to swing down towards the Earth as I cling to the left magnet handle I'm still strapped to. It's comforting to still have one arm strapped in, but as I begin to undo the velcro, the feeling of safety turns into a feeling of simply being free. Being nervous, excited, and carefree all at the same time, if only for a moment.

Even if I _did_ happen to somehow slide out of the velcro strap of the handle, the rope tied around my belt would ensure my safety by catching me...but of course the people below can't tell I'm totally fine. They probably just see my dangling legs and think the worst.

"PRAIRIE!" I hear Kiibo squawk in horror, causing me to laugh a little. He really ought to lower his volume already.

Holding on to the right handle again with my chalk coated hand, I press the left magnet's button and use my teeth to unstrap the velcro. My arms are aching so much from holding my weight on top of the effort I'd made to climb up here, but I do my best to ignore it and simply grab the tail end of the rope around the bar to tie it around the left handle magnet. As I release the button, the magnet flies back against the bar of the cage with a clang once more, rope tied tightly to it to keep the loop around the bar from making me swing back down when I climb it.

Making my way to the top is simple enough, although I am a bit concerned when I hear the unmistakable sound of Kiibo...hyperventilating? He can do that? Does he have something like lungs in the sense?

 _I'm almost there!_

With my body crying and aching for retaliation. I use all the energy I can muster to pull myself the rest of the way up until I've quite _literally_ climbed out of the cage. How long have I been up? How long have I been climbing?

I glance over the side in search of my fellow peers, surprised when I realize that during my endeavors many of them have taken seats, laid back in the grass (even the ones I suspect are probably still very concerned about me falling), but all are pretty much still down there. Sixteen people.

 _Thank goodness I haven't embarrassed myself on the way up...! And thank goodness they're too far down to really see me and what I do up here._

I chalk my hands even though I'm done climbing, giving the height a dubious look. Climbing back down is definitely going to be tough...and if it takes as long as it did to climb up, then I'll get down by the time it's five in the morning. Just climbing took four or so hours- it's almost one in the morning now!

With a sigh I pull myself together, planting my feet on the top of the sturdy cage bar to stand up and walk to the metal circle at the top- a ring attached to the cage that's three times my size. Couldanyone actually hang a cage this size anyways? Seems like the ring would come straight off if attempted- no way that little ring could hold up the contents of this cage, specifically the school and other buildings.

 _Now for the reason I'm up here in the first...place..._

Just as I lift my head to look up, I'm surprised to see how much clearer the stars look at the very top.

And how much _closer._

The glittering round stars seem bigger than they did before- and brighter too. It looks even stranger than-

Impulsively, my arm goes up and my hand smacks against the ceiling.

A small noise escapes me as my knuckles make contact above me. At first, I gently rub my knuckles against it lightly in quiet contemplation- the hollow minded kind of contemplation when something doesn't quite click immediately even as the proof stares you in the face. Maybe because of the time, it's a response for an answer to a question no one asks in the first place.

By the time my brain processes the discovery, my heart is pumping twice as fast as it had during my climb up and my breathing is shallow with rising panic.

 _There's a ceiling...! The sky isn't real? It's FAKE? Is this a joke? So the buildings that we see in the distance during the day are just...is it a projection? Or a screen?_

 _..._

 _What's on the other side? Back when I first saw it, Monosuke called it the "Wall of End", implying that this enclosure we're all in is all that's left of the world. It's a lie, right?_

Of course.

I remember something in my memories that gives me concrete logic and reassurance midst my little panic session. I can't forget the very beginning, the proof is in what little I can remember _before_ waking up in the killing game. We _all_ remember being kidnapped by the organization called "Danganronpa". The people that shoved me in the van weren't any faces I can remember, shrouded in darkness, but they _definitely_ were by people other than these guys I'm trapped with. So if there are people around to kidnap me and everyone else, not to mention a giant organization capable of setting this up, then there's no way there _isn't_ a world out there waiting for us.

 _Relax._ Letting out a heavy breath of relief, I poke one of the stars- but it's not a hole to the outside like I wish it could be. Instead the surface is even and entirely smooth much to my dismay.

 _So we're all enclosed in here with a fake sky and fake weather. Where the others don't remember what I do about the beginning resets of the killing game and have the belief that this is really the outdoors._

 _Why would the organization go through the trouble to enclose us in here though? To make a cage inside a "fake" outdoors is so unnecessarily excessive._

"Coming up here only confuses me even more," I mumble under my breath, pulling my hand from the ceiling with a heavy sigh. Where does this new knowledge lead me? Absolutely nowhere. All it does is make me feel like escaping is even more impossible.

 _Maybe it is. A powerful organization with money like this likely means that...there's likely no help coming for us from the outside. We're probably on our own. Money is what makes the world go 'round._

My throat gets tight but I try not to let the hopelessness get a hold of me just yet. I haven't even looked at all the cards I've been dealt yet- there's still a possibility of freedom. I just need to look a little harder...so we can _all_ go home.

 _"Hi, Ugly~!"_

I yelp loudly at the sound of Monophanie's voice coming out of an Exisal, one which suddenly appears underneath the inside of the cage and grabs hold of me with it's claws through the cage bars. All the air is squeezed out of me when I hear the sound of a rope being cut, my heart lurching upwards with my stomach when I feel us fall straight down from the top of the cage. I'm not even able to scream due to how tightly I'm being crushed in the grip of the yellow accented Exisal.

 _"You had enough of a peek, no more climbing the wall for you! Daddy's putting the electric current back through the wall now. Don't forget the_ _deal_ _you made!"_ Monophanie says, continuing to blabber even once she turns on the jets to the Exisal to slow our descent as we near the ground. By the time her feet hit the Earth, my hair is a complete mess from the fall and obscures my vision.

It doesn't help when she tosses me forward like a rag doll, my body landing painfully hard on the ground since she's thoughtful enough to throw me on the cement rather than the grass. I squeak as my ribs painfully object to my landing, grunting as my body slows to a stop. With a shaky exhale, I push up weakly from ground and inhale as much sweet air as I can to regain what I'd been deprived, touching my ribs on my right side and wincing when pain blossoms from contact.

 _As if the cut across my chest wasn't enough to deal with._

 _"If_ _you_ _tell_ _your_ _classmates-_ _any_ _one_ _of_ _them,_ _we'll_ _make_ _sure_ _they_ _regret_ _it!_ _Got it, Ugly? You better keep your mouth shut! Trust me, boys like it more when girls don't talk! I should know, since I'm so cute and you're not!"_ Monophanie chirps with that sugary sweet tone of hers through the Exisal intercom, unbothered as I feel someone help me up to my feet from where I'm laying. From the large hands picking me up under my shoulders, I register it to be Gonta's kindness.

"Small Prairie okay?!" Gonta asks, despite my obviously wobbly legs and disheveled appearance following the cruel treatment of Monophanie.

I only break into a cough as my answer, feeling two pairs of different hands pushing my hair back and evening it out so I can see again. When I look up, I find Rantaro and Kaede eyeing me critically- searching me for any obvious damage. Since my suit has open slits at either side of my ribs, I make sure to angle my arm where it covers the area- even though I can't quite tell if there's even a bruise forming yet since the floodlights have been turned off in exchange for the simple lights along the path.

"You didn't have to _throw_ her," Rantaro comments towards the Exisal pointedly, turning away from Gonta and I to face Monophanie.

"Yeah, that was inhumane! You could have seriously hurt her-" Kaede starts with a firm tone of disapproval, right before laughter at Monophanie's feet ensues.

It's only then that we notice Monosuke's presence and step back a little more towards the rest of the group behind us, my eyes scanning the area around the yellow Exisal until I find Monotaro and Monokid a little near the back behind the feet of the machine. Monokid looks composed as per usual, and Monotaro would look equally so if it weren't for the few sweat pellets formed on his forehead. Poor thing...

"Oh, _boo-hoo!_ She's a trooper, she'll deal! You humans are great at taking beatings! We've thrown her around before and she's not dead _yet!"_ Monosuke exclaims in amusement. "Besides, We _like_ throwing her around!"

Monophanie giggles from inside the yellow Exisal, reaching up to make a grabbing motion for me that has Kaede pulling me behind her with Rantaro.

 _I doubt Monokuma wants me dying just yet. Not when he's so intrigued by me._

"Come on, we're done here, guys," Rantaro says to our group as he takes my hand and leads me off in the direction of the path towards the dormitories.

"Aw, my climbing gear..." I hear Miu lament as we pass her, prompting me to wince. Had I not been snatched up and brought down the way I had...yeah, there's no way I'd have been able to retrieve her electromagnetic climbing gear. But at least now I have an excuse for it other than admitting I was "too scared to go get it".

"That sure was some climbing, Prairie Dog! Are you even human? No way a normal person can free climb like that so effortlessly without dying!" Kokichi, chipper as ever, jumps around to exclaim.

"Don't encourage her, Kokichi," Rantaro scolds the rat, to my mild irritation.

 _He has no right to be upset. I had it handled._

"R-Rantaro, please don't be upset with her. Prairie is capable of these kinds of climbs, I don't think you need to worry about-"

"No, Shuichi, I think I _do_ need to worry about it," Rantaro cuts the shy detective off, shutting him down so quickly that I almost feel bad for the gold eyed teen that falls silent and drifts back into step with Kaede with an almost guilty look as he pulls his hat down to hide his face.

 _Wow, am I looking in a mirror? That's nice of him to try and step in for me though..._

"She could have died from a fall like that! Rantaro's right, what Prairie did was wrong and dangerous according to my knowledge of human life preservation! If we look into the statistics of free-soloing rock climber mortality rate, the number of deaths are staggeringly high! We don't even know if she's out of practice or anything!"

"Prairie Dog isn't a statistic, you rotten malfunctioning excuse for a vending machine! What, do you have a granola bar for a heart?!" Kokichi suddenly lashes out in sudden offense that I can tell is clearly another one of his acts. "You robots are heartless in more ways than one!"

"I-I was just explaini- wait, _don't compare me to a vending machine, you robophobe!_ You read that from my profile on the monopad, didn't you?!"

"Ah, come on, she had it handled! Prairie's done much higher climbs that don't even compare to this and she's hardly ever batted an eye at them," Kaito brushes the incident off, totally cool with all of the stunts I've pulled so far. "Tenko, you know too, right? Tell 'em how it is!"

"Are you trying to order me around with your male hubris, you degenerate male? I'll chop off your arm and beat you with it!" Tenko snaps Kaito's way, but when he doesn't flinch, she turns to look Rantaro's way. This is only possible since we're walking as a group to the dorms together. "Admittedly though...he's right! The fact that you're making a big deal about it undermines her title as the Ultimate Rock Climber! You're totally insulting her! Maybe you don't remember your talent and can't understand, but don't tell her to deny her true nature! You're smothering her fighting spirit with you terrible male presence!"

"Is that how you see men? Hm...interesting," Korekiyo mumbles, eyeing Tenko before stepping back a little when she throws him a sharp aggressive look, daring him to keep speaking to her.

"Nyahaha! But if she had fallen, _what_ _do_ _you_ _think_ _would_ _have_ _happened?_ This isn't the same as Perfect Blitz' usual climbing endeavors- this time she used an apparatus _Miu_ designed! How are we to know of it's reliability anyhow? She is a 'rock climber', not a 'magnet climber' no? In fact...Miu could have designed it to fail on Blitz purposefully if she wanted, killing her off and taking the First Blood Perk for herself!" Angie adds her input wisely, eyeing Tenko critically. "It was not a wise move on Perfect Blitz' part!"

"The _fuck?!_ I wouldn't kill PERFECT BLITZ!" Miu snarls Angie's way, eyes blazing with rage at the carefree girl's smiling face.

"Aww, how thoughtful~! Not Prairie Dog, just someone else, right?" Kokichi points out in amusement, causing Miu to stammer and fidget as she trips over her words to find a good enough statement to counter Kokichi's comment.

 _...I never even thought of that,_ I realize, hearing Kokichi snicker from beside me as a result of the twitch in my expression when I think about Angie's point. Side glancing at him suspiciously, he simply smiles innocently. Why do I get the feeling he might have thought of that earlier and simply didn't tell me of it when I went to climb the wall?

"G-Gonta agree! Did not think Small Prairie would go higher- Gonta afraid too high to catch if Small Prairie fall!"

"You think she only climbs rocks? Shows how much you guys know..." Himiko yawns, making me realize she has my fallen ribbon when she lazily squeezes past Gonta to hand it to me.

"Still, Himiko, had she fallen due to a problem in the climbing gear's design, Miu would be responsible for her death by directly giving her faulty gear," Kirumi agrees reluctantly, following us diligently as we near the dorms. Nearly there and then I can run to my room and avoid everyone for a little bit.

"Aren't you all forgetting something? Technically, any death would start the killing game- even an _accidental_ death like manslaughter. That wasn't just dangerous for her, but for us too," Ryoma points out from somewhere behind as I wrap my hair ribbon in a ball and tuck it between my hip and monopad where I also have my gloves.

Once I have it put away, my hand hits the Sudoku puzzle book I'd shoved under the back of my belt, making me lift an eyebrow in surprise. It's amazing I managed to climb up with that stuck there, I almost didn't even feel it on the way up. I would have figured it would fall out during the more dangerous and risky maneuvers.

Shaking off the presence of the Sudoku puzzle out of my thoughts, I worm my hand out of Rantaro's by the time we reach the dormitories, quickly walking past him so that he has to move fast to keep up while the others are still more or less conversing near the entrance about the repercussions of what _could_ have happened.

"Kaede..." I hear Shuichi try to get the blonde girl's attention behind me, voice low enough that anything else they whisper or say is drowned out by other conversations when I push open the doors to the building, somewhat bugged when Rantaro tries to stop and catch me twice. I dodge his attempts and manage to get my dorm room door unlocked, quickly jumping in without closing the door since ignoring him outright won't benefit either of us. He's eventually going to chew me out for my stunt, might as well not delay the inevitable.

Rantaro hesitates at my doorway, but once he sees me make a beeline for my bed and promptly take a seat to face him at the doorway, he seems to understand I'm not going to run away from the scolding. He steps in and shuts the door behind himself, eyeing me as I wait for him to say something.

...

As he stares at me, he seems to relax and eventually relents with a sigh before he's even said anything. I perk up just a little at the unusual reaction.

 _Nothing?_ _No_ _"Prairie_ _what_ _you_ _did_ _was_ _wrong"_ _or_ _"I_ _can't_ _believe_ _you'd_ _do_ _something_ _so_ _dangerous"?_ _He_ _was_ _just_ _angry_ _moments_ _before,_ _did_ _he_ _really_ _cool_ _down_ _that_ _fast?_ _How'd_ _he_ _get_ _over_ _it_ _so_ _fast?_

"Prairie..." Although it seems that he's calmed down, I still shrink back a tad bit out of shame. "There was no was I was going to be able to deter you from climbing that wall, right? You'd have done it anyways in the end?"

I relax myself, and then offer him a sympathetic shrug as I simply answer, "I had to."

There's no other comment from Rantaro at that, but he steps forward towards me and pulls me in a hug once he's seated on my bed next to me.

"Why are you like this...?" He sighs, clearly exhausted as a result of worrying about me. I can feel all the tension in his body loosen in the hug, and feeling somewhat guilty for being the root reason he's been driven up the wall like this, I hug him back.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, meaning it one hundred percent.

After all, I'm not done doing things he won't like. There's still a tunnel I'm not supposed to know about that I need to go through.

When he lets go, his eyes trail down to the cut across my chest and collar, wincing at the large gash and sighing as he gently runs a thumb over a torn piece of fabric around it saturated with some of the blood from the initial injury.

"We should clean that up so it doesn't get infected. I'm gonna go get Kirumi since it's in a...conflicting place," Rantaro comments, making my cheeks heat up red as I nod and watch him get up to leave the room.

That went better than I thought it would, that's for sure.

 ** _End of 2.12 - Ascent_**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _To Guest: Honestly, Monotaro probably couldn't even make minute rice without the help of the other kubs- sweet but slightly dense! lol! Also, the comments are always wholesomely, super-duperly, appreciated, but don't worry if ever you forget, don't know what to say, or any other reason! Just the knowledge that my fic is being read and enjoyed is enough to make me happy! uwu It flatters me hearing you like it so much! _


	25. 2:13 - Pop The Bubble

**_2.13 - Pop The Bubble_**

I open my eyes and let out a yawn, drowsiness slowly ebbing away until all I can think about is the feeling of pain and soreness throughout my body. I guess the price for actively defying Monokuma is aching muscles and bruises, huh? Oh well, I can take it. Just another day in my entrapment within hell.

 _Still, why am I the only one going against_ _Monokuma_ _? For all their secrecy, I haven't seen_ _Shuichi_ _or_ _Kaede_ _doing anything. Rantaro...who knows what he's up to, but it doesn't seem like he's done anything to garner_ _Monokuma's_ _attention. Even_ _Kaito_ _, for all his outbursts about defying_ _Monokuma_ _, isn't really doing anything either. He talked back once and then went quiet._

 _Everyone else? Loafing around. They don't seem to care about where we are...other than maybe_ _Miu_ _. I couldn't have done my last stunt without her._

My face is a scowl, which I shove into a pillow covered with some of my messy curls in my frustration.

So other than Miu, if the _rest_ of the group wants to twiddle their thumbs and wait for a white knight to come rescue them, that's their prerogative. In my case, I actually _want_ to get out of here- lacking memories or not. I have a feeling that there's something waiting for me on the other side. I can't afford to leave it to fate and loaf around like the rest of them, nor can I play it safe. Besides...we're on a time limit.

 _I need to get out of here and I don't doubt the others need to as well. If only they were more invested in leaving this place...why are they all being_ _Himikos_ _' about it?_

...Well, if they really don't wanna try, I guess it really is all up to me.

I finally push up from where I'm lying to sit up and rub my eyes clear of sleep, only to hear the sound of something hitting my night table. A movement makes me whip my head around to see what's in my room, until I notice my lamp being to tip over and instead swing my attention to that.

"Shoot!" I blurt out, lunging to catch the lamp and tumbling off the bed in the process. I hear the door open as I hit the floor, the aches in my body making me yelp with contact against the carpet. Before I can get over the pain rattling through me, the door slams shut.

 _They're gone._

Grunting under my breath in disapproval, I haul myself and the lamp back up irritably. All I can do is stare at the door suspiciously after my unceremonious fall, considering they'd probably already be long gone by the time I get up and throw open the door to attempt a chase.

Now, I have no doubts that it was a monokub in my room- and likely neither Monotaro or Monokid. Those two wouldn't hide if it was them, so it had to be one of the other three...but then again, why would the other three need to be hiding either? Aren't they supposed to be the rule makers here? Or are they keeping tabs on me under Monokuma's orders? Seems unnecessary, Monokuma seems to do just fine without the monokubs hovering over the group.

 _Well the "why" about it doesn't matter. There was a bear in here that wasn't invited and it pisses me off._

Through the entire process of getting dressed, I'm annoyed. I growl as I yank up my sleeves and my gloves to try and make them comfortable, I get hissy with my belt and zipper what it takes a bit longer to close both of them- on top of having to be careful with the stupid gauze pad over my stupid chest because of my stupid injury-

So I'm definitely not in the best mood this morning.

With a sigh, I pick up my brush from my vanity and look at my reflection in the mirror. It's still a face I don't recognize that's staring back at me, and she looks like...well, she looks like she needs a chill pill.

 _There's no reason for me to be so overworked. Of course the_ _monokubs_ _that are on_ _Monokuma's_ _side and_ _Monokuma_ _himself would totally disregard personal space, it's not all that shocking. We weren't put in a killing game because he cares about us., after all._

Maybe it was even Monokuma himself sneaking in here while I was asleep...but I won't linger on that theory since it'll only make me end up losing my temper again. I'm calm, cool, and collected now. I'm going to have a good morning even though I have to face some of the others that are definitely upset with my climbing escapade last night.

They can judge me wall they want, I'll endure it, but I'm not going to stop what I'm doing just because a few people would rather be a sitting duck than get out.

I pull my monopad out and turn the screen on to check the time, seeing it's a little before the morning announcements. It's a little strange since I wouldn't have pegged myself to be a morning perso-

 _"Ow!"_ I yelp when I drag my brush through my hair and feel the bristles catch on an unusually large snag, causing my eyes to widen. What is that? A knot? There's no way, that's too big to be just a knot...!

I de-tangle, or make attempts to de-tangle the brush, wincing only to realize it's gotten stuck. The heck kind of a knot is this? Is my hair so curly it tangles like this while I'm rolling around in my sleep, or-

As I'm adjusting the brush and moving my head to find the knot in the mirror I eventually spot something of a pink blob in my curls, knotting a ball of my hair together that makes me freeze. It takes a couple of minutes for me to process what I'm seeing, even as the light strawberry scent hits my nostrils.

 _Oh no._

I pull at the brush again, eyes beginning to water as I tug and yank at the knot a couple more times to no avail. By the time I've given up pulling it out by force my scalp is crying with pain and all I can do is glare at the mirror.

 _"_ _Monophanie_ _,"_ I spit out like it's poisonous. It had to be her though, I can't really see Monosuke or Monodam doing something like this.

Yes, it was _definitely_ Monophanie.

I drop the brush, growling at how ratty my hair looks everywhere else. I can't even brush it now because the brush itself is stuck in the knot.

 _Stay calm, don't lose your head over this, be patient. There's probably a solution to fix this, don't lose hope! A solution like maybe...cutting off your hair..._

 _..._

I turn and walk over to my bed, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it as loud and uncontrollably as I wish I could do without it. After screaming into it a few more times, I remove the pillow from my face and will the angry tears now forming in the corners or my eyes to go away. I need to find scissors in this case. There were some in here before when I was first exploring my room, I just need to find them...

Not in my night table. Not in my vanity. Not in any drawers. Not _anywhere._

 _Did that cancerous little pink parasite take those too?! Did she know I'd want to cut my hair?!_

I slam the drawer I'm looking in shut and march out of my room, swinging open the door so hard that it hits the back wall and bounces shut behind me with a slam as I make my way down the stairs and out the doors of the dormitory building.

"Oh, Prair...ie?" I hear a familiar voice as I step outside (even though it's not- at least I know the truth now), prompting me to slowly look towards the speaker. The Ultimate Robot, Kiibo, makes a concerned face that borders on discomfort when our eyes meet. "Are you okay? W-What's with that creepy dead expression on your face? You look like you're gonna crawl out of a television set and put a curse on me!"

My only answer after staring at him is to turn away and walk past him, causing him to gasp when he presumably sees the brush in my tattered curls.

"Oh my _god!_ What did you do to your pretty hair?!"

Wrong choice of words.

"What did _I_ do? What's that supposed to mean?" I demand suddenly, looking back at Kiibo with a vicious enough look that he jumps and holds his hands up quickly in surrender as I turn my whole body his way in a less than friendly manner.

"N-No, I misspoke! I wasn't implying anything!" Kiibo speaks at a higher pitch than usual, taking a hasty step back from me.

...

"You wouldn't happen to have a pair of scissors on you, would you, Kiibo?" I ask pointedly with a calm yet warning tone, watching Kiibo shake his head quickly. "Huh, that's a shame."

I turn and continue walking, Kiibo quietly following me until I spot the figure of Ryoma Hoshi and make a beeline for him. As if sensing my approach, the short teen turns to face Kiibo and I with a mild frown, hands still stuffed in his pockets.

"Whoa. That's some energy you're exuding there, Prairie. What's got you in knots?" Ryoma asks, only for Kiibo to jump in before I can- probably to stop me from stepping on anyone's toes.

"Uh, funny you should mention that! Would you happen to have a pair of scissors, Ryoma?"

"...no. Sorry," he answers. At that, I walk away from the two, listening to Kiibo's apologies for my rudeness as I continue walking...and eventually spot something that makes me pause a step and forget my rage momentarily.

It's a door. Doesn't look like it can be opened, but I walk up to it and rest my hands on the large metal beam keeping the wooden and steel reinforced door shut.

"Phew," I hear Kiibo behind me, not exactly knowing when he started following me again. "How do you think it opens?"

I look closely at it with him, stepping up to the door and looking higher only to see a set of messily arranged letters- one door with yellow letters and the other with red letters.

"Ava-rita...no, wait, Ava- _ritia_ Luxulia!" Kiibo reads in satisfaction before frowning after a beat. "Uh, I don't know what that means. Is it Latin?"

 _Shouldn't it read "_ _Avaritia_ _Luxuria_ _"? As in...greed and lust? ...All of a sudden, I don't want to know what's on the other side of these doors._

I hear a gasp behind Kiibo and I, the two of us turning to see Kaede and Shuichi gaping at me specifically. Oh, so they saw the mess, huh? Stupid Monophanie. I'm still sure it was her.

"Oh my god, your _hair!_ What happened?" Kaede asks in horror, prompting me to sigh and click my tongue.

"She's pink, and she's a parasite, that's all. A-Anyways, do either of you two have scissors?" I ask, earning sympathetic head shakes from the detective and pianist duo.

"Although that's a shame, you two have good timing. I wanted to ask you guys if you know what this door is. Doesn't seem like we can open it and it doesn't look like an exit...so what do you think's on the other side?

Shuichi's eyes flick my way at that, causing me to quickly connect the dots to his thought process. I climbed the entire structure, so it's logical to believe I could have seen over this wall. Although...he's forgetting I climbed the wall at night. Furthermore, the fact that the floodlights came from the grounds near the cage garden means it only illuminated so much. I could see the buildings, but the wall here pretty much blocked any light that could identify the structures inside.

Before I can say anything to refute Shuichi's thoughts-

"Kiiboy, if you're so curious about what's on the other side, why don't you just fly over?!" Kokichi appears from quite literally out of nowhere much to my surprise, wearing a large grin to match his bright innocent eyes.

 _Innocent my foot. Where's pest control when you need it?_

"W-Wha-?!" Kiibo yelps, stepping to my other side when he sees Kokichi so that I'm between them.

"Kokichi, how did you...?" Shuichi starts, eyeing the violet devil curiously and earning a sweet smile that conceals the devil's true nature as he bounces on his heels childishly at the detective's attention.

"Nishishi! I _flew_ here!"

Oh, here we go again...what's new Scooby-Doo?

"Seeing how I'm a robot, I have jetpack soles on my feet!" Kokichi continues energetically, to which I bring a hand up to lightly face-palm. Did I not expect or see this coming? Of course I did, I saw it coming a mile away. He's absolutely ridiculous.

 _Loafing around while I do all the dangerous and hard work..._

A bitter flavor hits my tongue, but I do my best to quell it. I don't want to feel bad anymore, I just want to get this gum out of my hair and try having a good day. As good of a day as it can get knowing we're all totally cut off from the outside world.

 _Wall of the End._

I still don't like the name the monokubs gave the wall. It gives me too much anxiety.

"Eeeeh? Don't tell me...you don't have any...?" Kokichi queries in surprise when Kiibo gives him this look, stepping closer to us to eye Kiibo's body curiously.

 _...Now that I think about it, why_ ** _doesn't_** _Kiibo_ _have useful features like that? He_ ** _is_** _the Ultimate Robot, right? Where are the mega busters? The transforming segments of his body? The two hundred and seven implemented languages he can speak?_

I look at Kiibo curiously as well now, eyeing him critically until he seems to notice my gaze drilling into him too.

"...of course not! I-I don't have anything like that!" Kiibo objects.

"Just like you don't have a dick?"

I inhale sharply and incidentally breathe in some excess saliva in my mouth, causing me to turn and start a coughing fit of horror at his attempted innocent query. He did _not_ just ask something like that. That's...okay, THAT'S robophobic if you ask me.

"What kind of a conversation is this?!" Kiibo blurts out, followed by me looking at Kaede and the two of us rolling our eyes in unison. Clearly she too is sick of Kokichi's antics.

"Of course if you had a jet, you would've already flown out of this place! Kiiboy, you're just full of disappointments!" Kokichi exclaims brightly.

"Shocking coming from zero potential meat-boy," I drop following Kokichi's hurtful words. "You're such a one-note guy, Kokichi. I don't even _want_ to ask you for scissors."

I can see Kaede, Shuichi, and Kiibo gaping my way as Kokichi turns his attention onto me. If I'm to guess by the silence and guess based on the other times this has happened, I've probably hit a nerve. Guilt begins to fill my gut, so I turn away and leave the four to refrain from apologizing to Kokichi like I want to. As I'm turning away however, Kokichi's violet eyes flash with what I can only guess is understanding when he gives a grin of amusement.

"You wish you meant that~!" I hear him comment in a sing-song voice behind me as I leave, already ruining my attempts at quelling the blush that is rising to my cheeks. Dang it, even when I _don't_ say anything, he already knows just by looking at my face! I'm an open book! "By the way, love the new hairstyle!"

 _Screw this. Screw_ _Monophanie_ _, screw_ _Kokichi_ _, screw my hair, screw_ _ **everybody**._

Eventually I get to a grassy area with several trees, losing my cool and grabbing the brush stuck in my hair again to try and force the bristles to untangle from the knot.

"Ugh! _Screw this stupid brush!"_ I growl, struggling for a bit until I trip over my own foot and land face down in the fluffy tall grass. Even with the plushiness, I grunt at the sharp pain that vibrates across my body from the impact.

In short, it's still a bad morning.

 _Why me? It's not fair. The others should be helping out more too. The bears wouldn't be singling me out if the others were forcing_ _Monokuma's_ _hand too, right? ...okay, maybe that's just a pipe dream. The only reason_ _Monokuma_ _is bullying me over the others is because of whatever_ _voo_ _-doo crap I can do._

The sound of footsteps makes my mood dampen even more. I wonder which lucky student gets to witness the "Legendary ooo, so wow Perfect Blitz" in such a pitiful state...

Grass crunches and shifts as they get closer until...they eventually stop right next to me.

"Just get it over with. At this point, I'd thank you for putting me out of my misery," I grumble against the grass, only to hear a familiar long sigh.

"Don't say things like that, Prairie. I'm gonna get the brush and gum out of your hair, okay?" I hear Rantaro comfort me, rubbing my back warmly as he takes a seat beside me and soon starts picking at the knot in my hair.

"Right, you tell me when you're done in five years, hm?" I tell him with no fire left in my system, folding my arms under my face so I'm not totally pressing my nose and mouth into the dirty grass. At least the _plants_ are real...I'd lose it if someone told me they were as fake as the sky.

Sometime in the time I'm laying there allowing Rantaro his fruitless attempt to de-tangle the brush and knot from my hair, I hear a pair of footsteps approach.

"Good morning," Rantaro pleasantly greets.

"Good morning!" I hear Kaede's voice much to my relief. Thank god it's not Kokichi, I really can't handle him right now. Also, Rantaro would be _super_ disappointed if he knew how I behaved towards him.

"Good morning, Rantaro...I have something to ask you," Shuichi's voice, unassuming and disarming as ever, reaches my ears.

"Huh? What is it?" Rantaro queries as his fingers part some of my locks, feeling my own eyes widen a little when he pulls the brush free from the knot and sets it on the grass in my line of sight. He did it? He managed to get the brush out?! "A question from the Ultimate Detective makes me nervous."

"It's not making you that nervous, is it...?" Shuichi laughs a little, like he doesn't believe Rantaro's being serious. Of course, he probably isn't, but it's statements like those that make people so wary of him. If only he'd get a clue.

"Yeah, I get you. No murder has happened yet, so I guess the question can't be all that bad."

 _Why is that his reasoning and logic? Is his head screwed on backwards today?_

I rest my chin on my folded arms to look at Rantaro pointedly, making sure he can tell I think he's wishy-washy. He meets my gaze for a moment, but seems to brush off my expression with a smile that has me rolling my eyes. Typical.

"What you were talking about earlier, the Ultimate Hunt...what is that?"

"Ah! I'm curious about it too!" Kaede chirps after Shuichi, smiling a charming smile I already know Rantaro is totally immune to.

At the mention of the Ultimate Hunt, my thoughts flutter in my mind to make some sense of the group. The Ultimate Hunt...the people the monokubs said kidnapped us before and took our memories of being Ultimates. Going by what I already know, that means Danganronpa found us, kidnapped us sometime after the Ultimate Hunt took our memories as we were moving on living mundane normal lives, and then shoved us together here after... giving us our memories back?

That doesn't make any sense though. How would Danganronpa have access to our old memories anyways? Theoretically, if our memories were "wiped", then it'd be adios to them. Not even the Ultimate Hunt would be able to retrieve them from their own memory wiping efforts. Maybe in this case, they meant the Ultimate Hunt rather "cut out" our memories and stored them away.

In that scenario though, how would Danganronpa have gotten a hold of the memories then? Would that imply that Danganronpa purchased or stole our memories from the Ultimate Hunt? Or...is Danganronpa and the Ultimate Hunt one and the same thing?

 _And the big question: why would our memories need to be taken in the first place anyways?_

"I told you, it's nothing! Forget about it, it's okay," Rantaro comments, sounding just a tad bit put off by the topic. I wish I knew whatever Rantaro knows about it...he does know something, right? "Just from my own experience, if you bring up the same thing over and over, it will make you stressed out easily. Not being able to remember my talent makes me stressed already, so...please just take it easy on me from now on, okay?"

"Ah, alright! Sorry for asking you so suddenly..." Shuichi meekly trails off, clearly understanding Rantaro's shut his question down.

"No, it's okay," Rantaro says, making me blink in surprise when I feel him pull me up to my feet. Despite my confusion, I stand up and grab my brush on the way as I look from Rantaro to the other duo. "I'm sorry too, for not being able to be useful."

Rantaro turns to me and starts to pull me along with him by my free hand.

"Ah, wait, Prairie-" I pause and look back despite Rantaro's light pulling urging me to just keep on walking. Ignoring him, my eyes meet Shuichi's. "Would you happen to know anything about it?"

 _He's asking because I know so much about the things here, huh? Smart._

"Yeah. I do know of it," I decide to answer against my better judgement, watching Shuichi and Kaede perk up a bit at my admission...until I pop their bubble. "Doesn't mean I can say anything about it though."

Leaving Kaede and Shuichi with that little hint, Rantaro manages to drag me away on the double, only turning to face me with clear disapproval once the two of us are out of the detective and piano duo's earshot.

"Prairie, what was that?" Rantaro immediately asks, prompting me to easily respond, "What was what?"

He gives me a look, one I can only interpret to be a dry, _"seriously"._

"I know what you're doing because you _always_ do this. You're toeing Monokuma's rules again," Rantaro calls me out, taking my arm when I let out a small groan of irritation and pulling me to sit down in the grass with him.

Rantaro begins tinkering with the knot in my hair again, a silence falling between us save for the sound of our movements shifting the grass and the sound of my heartbeat getting faster. I know what's coming next, it always comes up. I've gotten used to expecting this kind of reaction from Rantaro.

"Why do you have to be so confrontational with him? He's eventually going to run out of patience at this rate, and then what will you do? No one will be able to help you at that point. Is that what you want?"

A small breeze hits me as he's pulling at a rather stubborn lock, lightly enough that it doesn't hurt me but strong enough that it's likely to break free of the knot.

"You're not going to get it out of my hair with your bare hands, Amami," I change the topic, even though I know he'll see right through my attempt. Surprisingly though, he doesn't call me out on it this time- instead laughing a little in a velvety way that has my heart skipping a beat. I don't like his laugh, it's too... _Rantaro-y._

"Ye of little faith..." Rantaro murmurs, which I try to be calm about despite how jittery it makes me feel inside. I kind of want to hit him with my hairbrush, is that normal?

"You may have gotten the brush out, but don't get so-" I cut myself off when Rantaro reaches around me to stick a ball of gum in the grass where I can see it. My hand still gripping my hairbrush eventually loosens when Rantaro gently takes it from me, brushing from the bottom of my locks first and making his way up. "Never mind."

At my defeated tone, Rantaro chuckles again. I _really_ don't like his laugh. It makes me feel knotted up inside and it's uncomfortable.

"Having a lot of younger sisters that get into constant trouble tends to help you learn good life hacks," Rantaro comments, clearly amused at the fact that I've had to swallow down my little quip towards him.

"Thank you, I guess," I answer, falling silent again as he brushes my hair.

...

"You're bruised pretty badly from when Monophanie threw you yesterday, huh? Looks painful," Rantaro adds, prompting me to make a reluctant noise of affirmation. I could just barely hide it before, but with the way my ultimate outfit is, there's no covering that giant purple mass forever. The openings at the sides display the skin at my ribs and waist, which includes the giant bruise that formed after Monophanie had her fun.

Rantaro doesn't use it as a point to explicitly convince me to not go provoking Monokuma, but I can tell he brought it up for that reason.

"If the result of my actions upsets you, you're welcome to look the other way."

Rantaro says nothing at first to my snippy response, as if contemplating how to tackle my stubborn attitude.

"And no, there's nothing you can say that will stop me from doing what I feel is necessary," I add sternly before he can speak, making sure I'm sitting up straight so he knows how serious I am about it.

"Maybe there isn't, but...if you keep taunting him, you're just opening yourself to receive more bruises, Prairie. Why is it that _you're_ the most beat up out of all of us when the killing game hasn't even started yet?"

He brushes my now groomed hair to the side to brush his fingers over the bruise located there, prompting me to push his hand away and turn in my spot to sit facing him.

"Because unlike the rest of you who want to hold hands with one another and sing _kumbaya_ until someone comes to rescue you, I'm not going to waste time that could be used to find a way out of here myself. If the only way out causes me pain, so be it," I answer plainly, noting how his lips tighten at my statement. "If you don't like that, it's not my problem."

"And if the only way out causes you death? Would it have been worth it?" Rantaro points out, immediately exuding clear frustration when I promptly answer, "Better to die trying than to die a lazy bum in my opinion."

Rantaro suddenly looks exhausted again, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Is today the day he decides he's had enough of me?

Still not my problem.

...poor Rantaro. He didn't sign up for this. It's not like anyone's forcing him to babysit me, and I don't know why he won't let himself give up on me already. I almost feel sorta bad for making him worry so much. You know, besides the fact it's his own fault for being so clingy...

"I don't have to tell you the reality of our situation, you already know. We're here to die. All of us. Either by Monokuma, by each other, or even by ourselves be it an accident or not."

Rantaro drops his hands in his lap, looking up at me like he doesn't really want to think about it. I shrug and reach out to take his hands in mine, hoping he'll somehow understand my actions if I spell it out for him without throwing attitude in his face. His hands are warm and much larger than my own small hands, my fingers running over his rings curiously as I get ready to reason with _him_ for a change.

He's quiet this time, allowing me the chance to speak for myself properly in this rare moment of me being docile in my refusal to behave rather than explosive.

"The best case scenario is that we starve to death rather than get killed. I don't want it to come to that. Like Kaede, I want to get out of here together with everybody. The last thing I want is for all of us to waste away in here," I explain, only to have my hands suddenly clasped in Rantaro's. Looking up at him, I find him staring at me.

"Can we make a compromise? Just for today?" He asks, prompting me to eye him cautiously. Not that I don't trust him, but considering his usual agenda, I have a feeling I'm not gonna like what Rantaro wants me to agree to.

"Before I go agreeing to anything all willy-nilly, what's the deal?" I question, both having the urge to yank my hands back _and_ just...hold his hands and enjoy the moment before he ruins it with whatever deal he wants to make. Jeez, I'm just making deals left and right here, huh?

It's a good thing I'm wearing gloves, or he'd definitely feel how clammy my hands are. Why are they so sweaty anyways? I don't like it. Am I really that worked up over Rantaro's possible offer? Come to think of it though, I'm starting to not like holding his hands either, it's making me feel weird.

I yank my hands out of his suddenly and instead cross my arms, looking down at my lap to avoid his questioning gaze from my unexpected reaction.

 _It's childish to be holding his hands. We're the same age and I'm not a child._

Rantaro gives me a quiet stare until I respond, "What? Get on with it already, y-you're boring me." He smiles a little at my usual stutter, only to quickly cover it with a hand when I pointedly narrow my eyes on him again. He's not allowed to do that... _thing._ Y'know, finding my stutter charming when I'm trying to be serious. Now's not the time to patronize me.

He manages to get back on track relatively quickly, clearing his throat and putting his hands in his lap since I've refused his little hand holding tendencies with me. Granted, I'm the one that took his hands first this time, but that's not the point. It's his fault- his habits are rubbing off on me.

"Prairie, you're always worrying and everything you've done so far is a result of these concerns with the killing game. So...for today, let me run around and irritate Monokuma. I'd ask for today and tomorrow, but I have a feeling you wouldn't be willing to take that long of a break. You need to relax for a while, and I don't mean for just thirty minutes or anything," Rantaro explains, seemingly growing concerned as my expression starts to slowly dip into disapproval.

"No," I flatly answer, not even giving an explanation.

"Prairie, trust me, you need to relax. All this stress you're putting yourself through isn't healthy-"

"I don't think my health matters if we're all going to die tomorrow," I point out, only for Rantaro to scowl at my statement.

"We aren't going to die tomorrow-"

"Yeah, if I'm keeping Monokuma busy and I find a way around his rules, you're absolutely right. End of discussion, I'll be on my wa-" Rantaro pulls me back down beside him when I move to get up, causing me to land beside him on the fluffy grass with a huff of annoyance. "You can't ask me to take a day off at a time like this."

"I can, I am, and this is probably the _best_ time to ask," Rantaro corrects me, even though it's obvious I disagree. "Just for today is all I'm asking. Don't push Monokuma today. Relax today. Please trust me."

...

 _I'm concerned the most about how no one else but me and Miu were trying to find a way out of here and stupid Rantaro wants me to do nothing too? That's a whole_ ** _twenty-four hours_** _this guy wants me to do_ ** _zilch._**

"Don't you trust me to find a way out of here?" Rantaro inquires, knocking me out of one concerning thought to the next. Replaying his words in my head, I have to resist laughing.

"You? Of course not. After the lever in the library, I'm convinced you're gonna kill yourself before you ever find us a way out," I answer truthfully, surprised when Rantaro suddenly laughs and pulls me into an unexpected hug. "H-Hey!"

"Give me the day and I'll prove you wrong," he pushes with that ever so charming smile of his, causing my eyes to narrow in my efforts to squirm away from him.

"S-Stop trying to..." I start, before trailing off in embarrassment when he tilts his head to the side.

"Stop trying to what?" He asks innocently until I scowl with invigorated irritation and reach up to pull his ear- making sure I'm pulling the ear itself rather than his ridiculous piercings. He grunts, but still chuckles despite my assault. He knows _exactly_ what he's doing, that face says it all.

"Flash your stupid pretty-boy smile to some other person. The answer's _no,"_ I mildly snap. "Also, what's with all these dumb piercings you have anyways?"

I stop pulling his ear and thumb one of the metal rings along the wing of his ear. He's answering me, but I'm not actually listening to him. Before we got our ultimate outfits, he didn't have any piercings...but I can't remember if his ears were pierced at all during the time before we got our outfits...were they?

"Are they real?" I cut him off to ask, sitting up from where I am in his arms and pulling on his ear to get him to lean closer.

"Ah, Prairie, Prairie- _hold on-"_ Rantaro tries to unhook my fingers from his ear fruitlessly, but I manage to bring his head close enough to turn his ear towards me and more the piercings around. "Trust me, they're real."

 _Hmm...well it's definitely piercing his ear. I still can't remember if I there were holes in his earlobe during the first, second, and third resets...but by the fourth he presumably had them, since the bears didn't just give him fresh piercings when they dressed us in our ultimate outfits. Rantaro would have been in a ton of pain if that were the case, but he wasn't._

"Do they hurt when I do this?" I question, feeling him stiffen up like he thinks I'm going to yank on one. When I instead gently pull on one and wiggle it along his ear, he relaxes substantially and I roll my eyes. "I may be upset with you, but I'm not gonna rip out your piercing you doofus. I'm not a barbarian."

Rantaro laughs in embarrassment as I say that, relaxing even more now. "No, that doesn't hurt at all."

"How about this?" I pull on it just a little more, prompting a nervous laugh out of Rantaro as he quickly goes to detach my fingers from the piercing I'm pulling and gives me a smile.

"No, but it's making me uncomfortable, so that's enough of that," he gently puts a stop to my studies as I sit there and stare at his ear.

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _It's not like I know how long the time between each reset was._

All of a sudden I feel just a little sick to my stomach at the thought. Rantaro's ear could have gotten pierced between resets...how long would it have taken for his ear to recover from getting pierced? Definitely more than a month at least, right?

 _How long have we even been in here? ...we're supposed to be freshman-_

 _Wait_. _We're...all_ _seventeen...so then we're_ _a group of_ _seventeen_ _year_ _old_ _freshman students?_ _But how_ _do_ _I_ _even_ _know_ _I'm_ _a_ _freshman?_

"Prairie, whatever you're thinking about must be really important, but stop for a second and take a deep breath, you look like you're going to start hyperventilating," Rantaro snaps me out of my thoughts, pinching that sensitive spot at the back of my neck to get my attention. I flinch at the feeling and look at him, feeling him run a hand through my hair to rub the back of my head.

 _Don't think about it? How could I not? Nothing makes sense here, why doesn't anyone else notice this? The fact that I know I'm a freshman yet I'm two years older than I should be- the age of a junior or a senior to be exact- any one of us could have realized that._

There's no rule against mentioning this. I refuse to stay quiet.

"Rantaro, you're a freshman, right?" I start off, looking his way for an answer. "And you're seventeen, aren't you?"

"I am," Rantaro answers simply, going quiet when I stare at him to see if he puts two-two-together. After a second, he frowns and looks away from me to stare at the grass in thought. "Oh."

...

"How did I not notice that before...?" Rantaro murmurs to himself, looking uncomfortable at the realization. "If we were freshman, we should be either fourteen or fifteen...we're too old to be freshman."

"Puhuhu! That you are, that you are~! Gosh, I was _wondering_ when you cretins would notice that! You idiots should have dropped out of school already and given up on a career for a 9-5 job at a fast food joint if you're seventeen!"

Rantaro and I jump and turn our head when Monokuma pops out of some tall grass behind us, grinning and holding his belly gleefully.

"You can at least tell us why we're all older than we should be, right?" Rantaro asks off the bat, prompting the bear to laugh more and hold up a paw to stop our questions in their tracks.

"Nope! You can figure it out for yourselves! After all, you took too long to realize it, and you bored me a lot because of it! Good luck putting the puzzle pieces together, Miss Marble! Not that it'll be at all useful!" Monokuma exclaims, right before bounding away to who knows where at a speed that would be impossible to chase after.

"...if I could just get my hands on that stupid bear, I'd be able to wring all the answers out of him," I huff, followed by Rantaro rubbing my arm and reminding me I'm still much too close to him than is probably acceptable for two friends.

I blink and quickly push his face away by his forehead as I try to keep my features from staining a red of embarrassment. Of course, I still end up blushing as I wrangle myself away from him.

"Anyways, regarding your deal, Rantaro- the answer's still a 'no'," I reiterate to get the conversation back on track. What I've realized is definitely important and I'm not gonna let Monokuma convince me it's not. For now though, there's nothing to gain pondering over it. We can bring it up with everyone else later.

"Then _half_ a day. Twelve hours," Rantaro barters, clearly not giving up.

"Ugh! I know more than all of you, if anyone can get us out, it's definitely _me._ You can't ask me to trust you when you don't even trust _me_ yourself, it's not a one way street!" I argue, frustrated to the point that I might actually throw my shoe at him _intentionally_ this time.

"I do trust you, Prairie. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be here getting gum and brushes out of your hair. I'd probably slink off somewhere to think alone," Rantaro tries to reassure me, but I just roll my eyes and turn away from him.

"I don't believe you. You don't talk to me about anything, you just come up to me to lecture me and tell me to stay out of trouble. If that's what you call trust, I've got news for you. I've tried telling you what I can to the best of my abilities without breaking Monokuma's rules. You do everything alone, and you ask me to _lie_ for you. That's not you trusting me, that's you just using me to your benefit whether you're aware of it or not."

Rantaro is quiet now. I reach forward and pluck a rogue dandelion from the grass and pick at the petals thoughtlessly as I give him the chance to explain himself. I'm pretty sure he knows I'm right. He probably didn't actually realize that's what he's doing.

"...this conversation is over," I say after I've given him more than enough time to say something, clicking my tongue and shifting to get up until he grabs my arm and pulls me back down next to him with a reluctant sigh.

"The reason I don't tell you anything is because I know how you'll take it. Because I know you're going to get yourself hurt as a result of what I tell you. So I choose not to tell you in the end...which I guess you're right when you say I don't trust you- but that's only because you and I both know you'd _would_ take it and run with it to oppose Monokuma," Rantaro explains, prompting me to glance back at him to see the meaningful look he throws my way. "Don't even try to deny it."

"Why are you trying so hard? Why do you want me to just sit around and do nothing so badly...?"

"Well, Prairie. When it boils down to it, I suppose my reasons are selfish and sway a bit on the side of 'favoritism'. Doesn't change that it's what I want though, and I'm willing to strike a deal with you to make sure my selfish, no-good, greedy agenda is achieved."

I don't even know how to answer that, slightly gaping at him when the truth tumbles out. He wants me to be safe _that_ much? Just because he supposedly favors me out of everyone else? ...that's too good to be true. I don't think I buy it- even if he is always following me around and worrying his avocado-toned head over me. Or maybe he's talking about favoritism in the sense of what he said to me during the first reset when we met. How his taking care of me was therapeutic for him in an "I'm-a-good-big-brother" way.

...

"Twelve hours..." I weakly repeat after a second, prompting Rantaro to perk up just slightly. "And if you can't figure a way out of here, you won't get on my case for whatever I need to do to save us from that time limit. And just so you know what you're signing up for, I mean even if I plan to _murder_ someone, you stay out of my freaking way. Deal?"

My words are heavy and even though I can see Rantaro stiffen up at the last part, he still doesn't hesitate when immediately answering, _"Deal."_

That's really all it takes for me to suddenly feel sick to my stomach, realizing what I've just agreed to on my own end. To do nothingfor twelve hours. To _waste_ twelve hours. It's too late to take it back now- a deals a deal.

"Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine," Rantaro reassures me, rubbing my back warmly.

"Yeah. Prairie Marble will be safe and cozy for the next twelve hours...perfect," I mumble bitterly, moving to get up until Rantaro catches my arm yet again and pulls me into another hug. This time I just let it happen with another puff of annoyance. "You happy?"

Honestly, I shouldn't even have to ask- it's pretty much written all over Rantaro's smiling face. It's definitely irritating.

"Don't forget, if you don't find anything in twelve hours, no complaints about what I do to get us out of the time limit," I remind him when he lets go of me and stands up to leave.

"Yes, so long as you don't do anything that will make you a target in Monokuma eyes, we have a deal, Prairie."

I nod and sit back on the grass reluctantly in dismay, watching him back away until he turns to leave with a last smile of sympathy on his part.

...

 _Did I really just agree to doing nothing?_

I flop backwards on the grass and blink up at the top of our prison with a dead stare of regret. I shouldn't have agreed to this. I paid more than he did agreeing to this deal now that I think about it- I should have just said no and dealt with his twelve hours of complaining.

 _It was his stupid pretty boy face that made me say yes, wasn't it? Curse these hormones, even though I knew what he was trying to do, he still got it his way anyways!_

...Now what?

I lay there for a couple of minutes trying to figure out what to do. I still have my hair brush, tapping it against the grass in thought.

 _Will I regret this? Shoot, I shouldn't have agreed so quickly..._

"Heey, Prairie Dog~" A voice chirps, followed by Kokichi's face leaned over my line of sight where I'm laying. "Are you playing dead? Ooo, ooo, I can do that too!"

With my judging eyes following his every move, he eventually flops on the grass beside me, staring up at the sky with me until I turn my head to look at him.

 _"Bleeh!_ We are _deaaad!_ Now we just need three people to find us so Monokuma can play the Body Discovery Announcement."

"...Great. One annoying idiot leaves and then another annoying idiot takes his place..." I say as I turn my gaze back up to the fake sky and roll my eyes. A breeze knocks a few strands of hair over my face, which I'm too lazy to try and brush back behind my ear even when Kokichi looks my way.

"Nee-hee-hee! Sure I'm annoying, but don't lie about Rantaro. He's not annoying, you just don't like him trying to play your knight in shining armor," Kokichi easily dissects my opinion, prompting me to sigh.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Picking apart my thoughts and feelings all the time. It's weird- I'm starting to think you have a crush on me or something."

"It's because I _do!"_

Making a face through my hair at that claim, I add, "Don't even joke about that, you're going to make me sick."

...

 _"WAAAAAHHHH!"_ Kokichi suddenly sits up abruptly to cry, surprising me into sitting up as tears erupt in his violet eyes, "I only j-joke around and tease you because I _like_ you- h-how could you r-r-eject me so _coldly?!"_

The fact that he stands up and starts running away is what initially has me concerned and doubting that it could be a possible lie. Guilt sprouts in my gut and I get up to chase after him from his odd reaction.

"W-Wait! Ah, I mean- Kokichi, I-I didn't-" I stammer, totally unsure of hot to even approach the topic since of course I'm totally going to have to reject his feelings regardless.

"Ahahaha! I'd probably feel sick if someone like me was crushing on me too!" He blurts out as he spins around to face me when I catch up to him- totally fine as per usual.

I don't even know what I've done until I feel a slight sting on my hand and bring both hands over my mouth in shock when I see Kokichi stagger back a step from the force of the impact on the side of his face.

...

 _Am I sorry? I don't know. Why'd I slap him? No, why would he go playing with my feelings in the first place! I thought I actually crushed him!_

"I'm sorry," I eventually lower my hands to say...before raising one again and taking a step closer when he looks back my way with that small plastic smile. "I didn't hit you hard enough, _let_ _me_ **_try_ _again_** _."_

Unlike how he usually runs away, Kokichi rather laughs and catches my raised wrist before I can go to slap him across the face again. "I wasn't actually expecting that, but I guess I deserve it. Hey, if Rantaro bugs you so much, why haven't you slapped _him?"_

"I've punched him. Didn't I already tell you-"

"I'm honored you'd be so sweet to give me a _slap_ rather than a _punch_ then, Prairie Dog! You know...maybe it's you who might have a crush on me, huh?" I go to slap him with my other hand, but this time he dodges and releases his hold on my dominant hand to jump back a few steps. "Or...considering how buddy-buddy and cuddly you are with Rantaro, maybe your crush is on him? The second he flashes you his pearly whites, you're likely to agree to something even more stupid than what you agreed to now!"

"God, you're such a stalker! Go creep on someone else, _rat!"_ I shout in annoyance, stomping a foot once I stop advancing on him. "Why are you spying on us anyways?!"

"Because, Prairie Dog, you're interesting."

Kokichi says it such a matter-of-fact manner that I'm once again caught off guard- not even quite sure what exactly he means by it.

"Hey, hey. If you're so steeled in your resolve to save us all from Monokuma, I wonder why you've decided to stick to a deal you know isn't in our benefit. I mean, sure you said yes, but you know..." he grins a little wider. "No one's pointing a gun to your head to follow through on the deal or anything."

Kokichi promptly turns and walks away without another word, leaving me to decipher his words on my own.

 _So Kokichi is saying...I should do what I want, regardless of what I've said to Rantaro._

 _...if only I could do that with_ ** _Monokuma's_** _deal._

 ** _End of 2.13 - Pop The Bubble_**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _To Guest: We must protect our robot son! And yes, the truth will eventually come out...and hopefully Prairie's death won't be part of the probable high cost that will need to be paid as a result. Hopefully a gremlin, an overprotective avocado man, a short mage, or Atua himself comes to Prairie's aid!_


	26. 2:14 - We Won't Ever Kill

_**2.14 - We Won't Ever Kill**_

 _Nothing to do...doing nothing just like Rantaro asked me to. Pretending I didn't hear Kokichi's suggestion to basically wing it and go about my usual business anyways…_

…

I get up out of my seat in the empty classroom I'm in for the third time, giving the door a long stare before I convince myself to sit back down with a groan of pure frustration. One second I'm all for forgetting my deal with Rantaro and throwing it all out the window, but the next second I'm all, _"No, no no, you promised, don't you dare go back on your word."_

The idea of going against the stupid deal I made is oh so tempting.

 _Leave it to that prick Oma to find a way to disturb my peace and self control again._

"I hate him," I decide out loud, leaning over the desk to mope and groan a little more. It's only been maybe...two hours since the deal, but it _feels_ like it's been a million years. Sitting here and lazing around makes me feel terrible- how do the others do it so easily?

 _Go find that underground tunnel Rantaro tried to keep a secret from you._

The metal feet of my chair scrapes the floor yet again as I stand up, staring at the door again. My way out of this claustrophobic deal. _My way_ and not Rantaro's way.

...but I eventually let out a small breath and sit back down once more, not bothering to scootch over my chair forward as I slouch over the desk like a rag.

 _What if I go back on this deal and the consequences mean losing the trust Rantaro has in me? ...well, it's better to have Rantaro distrust me than to have Rantaro dead._

"It's just in your nature to prance your ugly butt around ruining things for everyone, isn't it?"

Rather than flinch like I normally would when someone appears and surprises me, I lift my head and stand up- taking a purposeful step towards Monophanie on a nearby desk that makes her skip back a few desks with a giggle. The giggle doesn't help, if anything it only further entices my outrage with her.

"Gum in my _hair,_ huh? How did you even do it? You can't chew gum, you're a robot," I growl, fuming only after a couple of seconds of looking at her.

"I have my ways! And besides...daddy said I could," Monophanie defends, clearly pouting as she innocently holds her paws behind herself and has the gall to look like she's somehow feeling guilty for something I know she was all too happy to commit.

"Don't pretend to be sad, you look stupid," I snap, stepping around a few desks to get to her until she holds a paw up and gasps loudly. Against my better judgement and my urge to rip her a new one, I stop dead in my tracks.

"If you kill me, it will count as antagonizing Daddy! And then your hunky-chunky boyfriend is going to be upset with you for not sticking to your promise!"

I scoff at her words in disbelief.

"I guess Rantaro will just have to find it in his heart to forgive me when I get us out of here," I answer with a hint of mocking shame, considering Rantaro's never been able to stop me from doing what I want anyways. Besides, I doubt Monokuma would be upset to lose Monophanie- or any kub for that matter- so it likely wouldn't count.

When I start to approach the pink bear again, I move faster so she can't escape, but she manages to skip back a few desks to increase the distance between us. I instead bump into a few desks, the screech of the desks and chairs irritating me as much as Monophanie's giggles do.

"Well, _Daddy_ would get angry!" Monophanie tries again, actually making me stop for a second. She seems pretty proud of herself until I start snickering.

"No he wouldn't! Monokuma would throw a party," I correct her, watching her face start to fall as a result of my claim. For a second, I'm almost intimidates as she begins to frown outlandishly. It's almost like everything fluffy and sugary about her dissolves in that one instant- like cotton candy dunked in water.

Monophanie stares at me for a full minute in silence, in a manner pretty reminiscent of Kokichi's famous expressionless stares. I don't advance anymore due to caution. Although I was ready to challenge the theory that kicking Monophanie around and scaring her (of course I wouldn't actually _kill_ her) wouldn't count as antagonizing Monokuma, I soon feel doubt creep into my system. Did I screw up my deal with Rantaro already? In just the first few hours? Should I run before the Exisals get here, or will I just need to deal with Monophanie.

"Someone like _you_ wouldn't understand! Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of! I'll bet you don't even _have_ a family, Ugly Tramp!" Monophanie lashes out uncharacteristically, right before quickly bounding out the door without waiting for a response from me.

 _To be honest...I actually feel kind of bad about laughing and saying it so coldly. These Monokubs are sapient- I ought to not abuse that. It doesn't make me any better than Monokuma._

I sigh and try to reorganize some of the desks I've messed up with now that she's gone, taking my sweet time since, of course, it's not like I need to be anywhere...cleaning up helps me think, I guess.

"Puhuhu~! Suddenly worried about our pink neighborly bear, huh? Ah, gotta collect them all, am I right?"

 _I'd take being annoyed by both Rantaro and Kokichi at the same time over being stuck with this stupid bear._

"What do you want now? Seeing you more than once in a day makes my insides crawl. Go bother somebody else," I huff, right before hearing Monokuma laugh a little in amusement.

"Ahh, it's good to know your green-haired buddy doesn't have too tight of a leash on you! I guess you must really fancy being his little bit- _oh!_ Forget I said anything. Besides that-" Monokuma jumps out of the way when I stand up and make a beeline for him without any care for consequence. He continues where he left once he stops on a desk farther from me. "-aren't you bored sitting here waiting for the grass to grow?"

"What, you're here because you're concerned about me? Wow, I feel so special."

"Of course I'm concerned! If you're lazing around in here, that's less opportunities for you to be potentially murdered, you know? Get out there and give your back to a few people so they can get their first murder over with! You'd be helping them! It's totally up your alley!" Monokuma snickers when my eye starts to twitch at his statements. He just came here to piss me off, that's what.

I honestly don't even know wh- _wait._

 _He came here to piss me off, that's why he's saying all the crap he is! But...I don't understand. He wants to anger me? Why? Does he_ _want_ _me to try opposing him?_

"...I'll just stay here, thanks," I'm suddenly happy to decide on, grabbing a chair and sitting on it backwards like I've seen Rantaro sometimes do. I resist the urge to smile at my ingenuity, because if it pisses off Monokuma to have me loafing around like the other "boring" teens as he's stated before, then fine. At least I'm substantially more okay with listening to Rantaro now.

"Suit yourself! Just you and me bonding and getting to know one another...ah~" the stupid bear relaxes and slings himself over the desk, grinning as he kicks back. "We should do this more often! I love getting to know you, Perfect Blitz!"

I almost open my mouth and snap at him to call me Prairie- or even _Ugly_ if he wants- but I manage to catch myself in time and instead clear my voice rather than lose my cool.

…

"Why do you look like that? Half like a marshmallow and half like a halloween prop?" I inquire after I realize he's not going to leave. Maybe I can get some information out of this awful opportunity, right? It's better than him running his mouth over whatever springs to his mind.

"One symbolizes my playful and _innocent_ side while my other represents my hungry desire for bloodlust!" Monokuma surprisingly answers.

"Why? Wouldn't representing your dark side entirely be more fitting?" I raise an eyebrow as his left red eye begins to glow a bit, trained on me specifically. "After all, you _are_ heartless and you _do_ want us to commit unspeakable acts to one another."

 _"Bah!_ The world needs more cute and cuddly evil villains! We already have enough villains we dislike in pop culture, I'm the improved more _likeable_ type of evil villain!"

This time I do laugh, but it's more or less humorless.

"'Likeable'...you're not, don't even kid yourself," I huff, crossing my arms over the chair's backrest. "Feel free to leave now."

"Puhuhu~! Don't make the mistake of thinking you're exempt of any punishments just because I find you more entertaining than the others. If you piss me off," Monokuma's left eye flashes even brighter than before, teeth almost getting sharper as he holds up a paw of razor sharp claws. "There _will_ be consequences."

I reach up and twirl a lock of hair around my finger, biting down on my tongue before I go to challenge him all over again. Monokuma seems to notice my efforts to stay to my word to Rantaro, cocking his head slightly towards the side.

"Why are you listening to him anyways? He could be using you, you know? Getting you out of the way so he can plot a murder, you know? After all, you've made a reputation for yourself when it comes to meddling in affairs unrelated to you!"

I shoot Monokuma a scathing look for that claim. Rantaro may be an idiot at times, but he'd _never_ do that. After everything he's done, he's made it clear that he's simply worried about my safety and that's why he's begged me to not antagonize Monokuma. Not because I'm _in his way_ for any reason.

"He's not using me," I state in a very leveled, no nonsense tone.

"Yeah, but _how sure_ are you of that? You're not related to him, you're a total stranger. I think you need to re-evaluate just how much he _actually_ cares for you." Monokuma shrugs, as if he's offering useful advice when he very clearly isn't.

"I trust him," I reiterate, followed by Monokuma's laughter when I turn my gaze to frown at the floor.

"Except...you don't. And you wouldn't be so restless if you did. So, Miss Marble...if you don't entirely trust him, why don't you go out and make me annoyed? Entertain me! Have fun! Or I guess you can sit here and...become one with your chair. Toodles~!" Monokuma bids me goodbye, bounding out of the room so I can breathe properly again without having the urge to throw a chair at his stupid face.

…

After a second, I stand up and decidedly leave the classroom. Monokuma's right about one thing and wrong about the other. He's right I don't want to assimilate and mope about my deal with a chair in an empty classroom, but I'm not leaving to disobey Rantaro.

Because I _do_ trust him, I'm going to relax and let him try- as futile as I believe it'll be since _I'm_ not the one looking...it might be arrogant sounding, but my track record with secret tracking hasn't failed me yet.

 _I'll just have to find something else to do! Like…_

As I walk through the hall in thought, a heavy sigh from a familiar girl catches my attention. I look up, already wincing since there's only one variable that can cause the production of such a heavy type of sigh.

"Let me guess," I speak up from a few feet away as I come to a stop, causing Kaede Akamatsu to pause mid-step and look up at me where I am with a sympathetic smile. "You had the bright idea to spend time with Rat Face and now regret it entirely. Yeah, he has the astounding ability to suck all the life out of people. I reckon he's a professional at it too."

Kaede laughs in embarrassment, cheeks slightly red at my words.

"You got me. That's a mistake I won't make a second time, that's for sure! He tried to convince me I'd met him before and that I'd forgotten about him. To be honest...I almost fell for it," Kaede admits somewhat reluctantly, prompting an eye roll out of me.

"Well, don't blame yourself, blame Kokichi. He's great at lying when he wants to, that much I'll admit," I comment, stepping up to her as her eyes light up like she has an idea.

"Oh! Since we're here, I was heading on over to my Ultimate Lab to check it out. Wanna come with? I'd be happy to teach you a few things about the piano while we're there," Kaede offers, looking suddenly upbeat and maybe even a bit relieved to suggest it. She seemed somewhat wound up before, and all of a sudden I'm not too sure if it's entirely Kokichi's fault. Something else must be bugging her.

"Alright, that sounds like a plan," I evidently agree with a small smile. Well, I'm not doing anything else- and I guess I don't mind helping Kaede unwind for a bit. It'll distract me from what happened with Monokuma as well. "I need to relax too, you just caught me after Monokuma decided to pay me a visit…God I wish I'd been around to see him get crushed by an Exisal."

Kaede says something under her breath. Confused by her lowered voice, I blink and cock my head a bit in confusion.

"Eh? What was that?" I inquire, just as Kaede snaps out of her thoughts to give me a reassuring smile- albeit one that almost appears somewhat anxious before she seems to shake it off completely.

"Ah, nothing! Just that I wish you'd been around to see it too! I'm sure you'd have enjoyed it considering how much you hate him," Kaede says with a bit of a wry smile.

Seeing her obvious amusement by the fact that I just detest Monokuma's existence with a passion, I break into a bit of a smile myself and answer, "Yeah, I hate that bear...so where's your lab?"

"Just right here, come on," Kaede chirps, gesturing me along and turning to lead me towards the stairway. Rather than going down the stairs, she leads me around to the side where I see two other doors I never bothered to check out before. "See? The one with the piano is mine."

Kaede immediately opens the door and steps into an unusually tidy music room- void of overgrowth and strewn with musical posters, a shelf chock full of music books as well as CDs. The scent of strawberry fills my nostrils and I hum in delight.

"Whoa, it smells nice in here," I say first, before somewhat jumping a little when I hear Kaede shut the door behind us. Why am I so jumpy? It's just Kaede, she's not going to do anything...even if she is sorta behaving strangely.

 _She probably will relax once we start getting to the piano._

I step into the room, gravitating towards the piano smack in the middle and running a finger over the ready-to-play keys of the musical instrument.

"So many keys on it…how do you even remember which key plays which note?" I ask in awe, suddenly dubious of agreeing to lessons with her. Can she really teach me to play it?

I press down on a key, expecting a note to play. When the musical ding emits from inside the piano's wood-works though, I raise an uncertain eyebrow

 _I think the attempt at teaching me to play this might end up being futile._

"No need to feel intimidated! We'll take it one key at a time, okay?" Kaede promises, casting a kind smile my way when I give her a glance. Her faith in me and to have her offer her teaching skills is very nice, but I can't help but feel slightly off-put despite it. She may be hiding something, but I can't tell what it is...yet she invited me to hang out with her?

 _Maybe she's trying to work up the courage and nerve to let me in on whatever Shuichi and her are keeping hush-hush. That's probably it._

Kaede shows me a few notes to begin with. I follow her instructions until she's satisfied, her lilac pink irises twinkling when I hit the notes right.

 _Is Kaede afraid of me getting mad at her for keeping secrets? At this rate, with all the secrets Rantaro, Kokichi, Shuichi, and Monokuma are keeping, I don't have any fire left in me to be fussy over things like that...well, except if Monokuma is the secret keeper. Then I do have rage for whatever secrets that bear is keeping from us._

Kaede runs me through a few scales slowly. I key every sequence of the notes perfectly in rhythm. It's not fast, but it's definitely something to be proud of for a beginner.

 _I hope she says something eventually...maybe bottling it up isn't doing her any favors- in fact, it's probably making things even worse. Maybe I should give her a gentle hint? Something to help ease the topic out of her._

About an hour of hanging out with Kaede, learning the basics of the piano and a few laughs every now and then along with some uncomfortable moments when Kaede seems to get distracted and lost in thought, I finally gather the nerve to decide speaking up.

I open my mouth and-

"Ah, I'll be right back, okay? Just gonna use the bathroom really quick, don't go anywhere!" Kaede reassures me, getting up from the piano bench beside me and rushing out of the room. All I can really do is sorta gape until a thought comes to me.

 _Maybe...she's been behaving strangely since she's been holding in her_ _pee_ _! Right? Wait, no. That's dumb, no one's gonna go holding in their pee for over a solid hour- that's crazy._

I get up and stretch a little, bumping into the stage and Kaede's backpack where she left it when I momentarily lose my balance mid-stretch.

Ah, I should probably move it so it doesn't fall and get dirty on the floor from my obvious stretch klutsies. It's a pretty pale lilac color close to white- which means it'll dirty easily. No need ruining Kaede's stuff, that's for sure.

Reaching to grab it by the loop at the top, I go to lift it up and frown when I realize it's unusually heavy. It's like she has _bricks_ in this thing. What the heck is she carrying in this?

…

I glance at the lab's entrance and reach for the zipper after stifling my guilt, opening it up to see...a monopad, a small makeup bag, and Kaede's pink vest at the bottom- likely an extra one just in case the one she's wearing gets dirty or something. However, these findings still don't explain the heavy weight of Kaede's backpack, so I push aside the items and start digging past the vest. There's something hard inside the folded fabric, I just need to scootch this dumb vest aside and then…!

I reach under the waistband of the vest with both hands and pull out, unbelievably so, a shot-put ball.

My heart escalates in sheer horror, pumping to a terrifying level when I register the object and immediately set out to rationalize just _why_ Kaede would have a thing like this in her backpack. Nothing comes to mind though, and even my most ridiculous excuse- Kaede carrying it to play a make-shift game of bowling- still wouldn't make sense considering how close we are to all being killed for not complying to Monokuma's rules. No one in their right mind would suggest bowling at a time like this.

 _In that sense though...no one would suggest piano lessons out of the blue either, right? Then...was this all a trick? Kaede has a shot-put ball and she brought me here without notifying anybody. She said she was with Kokichi before me, but was she really? Or has she been off planning to…?_

I don't even realize I've dropped the shot-put ball on the ground until I hear the noise of it smashing against the laminated floorboards and jump about a foot in the air as a result. Taking a deep breath and trying to regain my hold on my sanity, I close my eyes and let my intuition organize my thoughts for me.

 _She was trying to murder me, wasn't she? I'm not being paranoid thinking it, right? Why else would Kaede have a shot-put ball in her backpack? Why else would she be acting weird when she invited me to play the piano with her? She said she wanted to check out her lab with me like she hadn't seen it before either, but she didn't look surprised by anything when she walked in. Is this who Monokuma meant when he hinted that someone wanted to kill me?_ _Kaede?_

I turn to leave post-haste, but then stop in my tracks.

 _Monokuma said if I were to see a murder about to occur, I'm forbidden from trying to interfere or stop it. He didn't say anything about my own murder, but I presume that counts too. Monokuma also said my cooperation was in exchange for both climbing the wall and for pretending I didn't try to give Rantaro a hint before...so what if I leave and he ends up taking it out on Rantaro as penalty for not keeping my word? Like a sort of "gotcha" or "didn't read the fine print" sort of situation?_

 _Do I want to end up dragging everyone else down with me?_

Mortified, I bend down and force myself to pick up the shot-put ball again, moving to put it back into Kaede's backpack and pretend I didn't see it...however, I pause just short of putting it back.

 _No. I want her to see I found it. I want to deal with this now. Maybe if I address it to her face and...I don't know. Maybe I can change her mind. That, or I die._

I move the shot-put ball on the stage beside Kaede's backpack in clear sight, taking a deep breath and turning to sit back down on the piano bench where I was originally sitting. Am I really just gonna sit here and hope for the best outcome? Sitting around and waiting for Rantaro's inevitable failure to find a way out is one thing. Sitting around and waiting for my own possible murder is another thing.

The door opens and I duck my head a bit in shame, even though I shouldn't actually feel any ounce of shame at all. I'm not the one carrying a shot-put ball around for no apparent reason.

"I'm back! So were you practicing a little while I was go-" As Kaede skips over to return to her spot on the piano bench next to me, she pauses mid-sentence. Presumably, she's noticed the shot-put ball I've pulled from her backpack and left out for her to see.

My eyes are fixated on the keys of the piano before me distantly, despite my thoughts being hyper-focused on Kaede. I wonder what she's thinking and what she's feeling. How long has she had the thought to play into Monokuma's game? When did she decide I would be her target? Why did she change her mind and decide to resort to _murder_ to escape? Last time I spoke to her, she wasn't acting strange at all, everything about our conversation felt totally natural…

I thought she liked me.

Eventually, I find my voice as she takes a few steps towards her stuff on the stage behind me. I need to ask. Maybe there's an explanation for this that I'm not seeing, one that has nothing to do with malignancy.

"Kaede, why is there a shot-put ball in your backpack," I ask, though it comes out as dry and weak as my throat and mouth feel. It hardly sounds like a question at all as it leaves my lips.

A minute passes and Kaede is quiet. The longer she doesn't answer, the more nervous I become.

"I don't know."

Kaede's whole tone has shifted, heavy despite how hollow and empty it sounds when she speaks. She's not denying that she put the shot-put ball in her backpack herself. Maybe she's confused- it doesn't seem as if she's wholly prepared for this. It doesn't feel like she has the conviction to commit murder.

I think back to everything and I can't put my finger on why she would want to kill me. It should be obvious, but it doesn't quite click until she speaks again.

"You've been fighting harder than all of us against Monokuma. You're totally fine, aside from a few bruises here and there," Kaede comments with a subdued tone, prompting me to think hard and swallow when I realize where she's going with this.

"So...bottom line, you don't trust me," I clarify, before hearing the sound of the shot-put ball being lifted from the stage by the creak of the wood behind me. My breath catches in my lungs at the realization. Anxious to a level I've never felt before, I tremble in my seat slightly. She's gonna hit me with it and I should probably move away from her.

 _But what about Rantaro getting punished for my negligence?_

I hear Kaede's footsteps as she turns and takes a step closer towards me.

"Why do you know so much? Why did you come back when Monokuma came back? Why are you being friendly with a Monokub? Why are you making such a show to go against Monokuma?"

 _A show? She thinks what I'm doing is 'showing off' that I'm opposing Monokuma, rather than simply opposing him? The rest of these are coincidences, save for being friendly with the Monokubs._

...These are still all questions I don't have a good enough answer to provide for.

"I don't know," I echo Kaede, hearing her take another uncertain step.

 _Can she tell I'm not lying or does she not believe me? Will she actually do it?_

"It's not that I simply don't trust you. Prairie...you're the one behind everything. All the pieces fall into place the more I think about it everything that's happened. Amnesia? I don't believe it. Your true personality shines through whenever you get angry, and I'm betting if you're poked and prodded enough, you'll eventually drop your shy school girl act. You lie, you use others for your own benefit, and you're a great actress. This is just another one of those incidents you're infamous for, that's what I believe. You're the only one of us that Monokuma regularly meets with and you're the only one of us that has the financial potential and societal pull to build a whole system and structure like this in the first place. How much did it cost? Which was more expensive, kidnapping us, or building the cage?"

She really thought hard about this, that much is for sure. With everything she says, I can hear her uncertainty beginning to dissolve. If she didn't have the nerve when I first left the shot-put ball out for her to find it, she's starting to get it now.

"I-It's not like that. I'm not the person behind everything," I answer, even though I have absolutely no proof to dig my way out of Kaede's accusations. It's not like I can pull up a bank statement to present to her my most recent purchases or show her a brain scan to prove my amnesia.

 _There's no way I'll get her to believe me. Is this why Shuichi avoided my questions before? No, that wouldn't make sense if he thought I was the one behind the killing game- then it wouldn't matter what he told me or not. I'm sure the Ultimate Detective knows the person in allegiance with Monokuma would know about everything that's going on around them. Maybe it's just Kaede that believes all of this...but what if Shuichi believes it too?_

Silence on Kaede's part. I close my eyes and take a quiet breath.

Monokuma is playing with all of us. He must have been showing up and leaving at times when Kaede was around to see it. Leaving a little seed of doubt in Kaede and allowing it to spin out of control to how he saw fit based on her beliefs and desires. Monokuma said his job was to make even people as hopeful and bright as Kaede turn to murder...and look at that. He achieved his goal.

...I don't want to do this. If I stay here and actually commit to Monokuma's deal, it means I have to die.

 _And I don't want to die._

I jerk to the side to get away from Kaede and the piano, barely even thinking at this point. Not even my fear of Rantaro getting punished can shake me from my actions right now.

I let out a shriek when I hear the sound of something heavy slam down on the piano keys, eyes widening when I turn my head to look at Kaede. She appears just as stunned as I am by her actions, gaping at the segment of the keys that have shattered under the impact of the shot-put ball she used to try and hit me with.

As I look at the broken piano keys and the indent left behind, I can only think about how that could have been my head as I scramble back off of the piano bench and try not to panic. I need to get up and leave. I need to hide somewhere Kaede won't find me.

I'm already out of the room and Kaede doesn't follow or call me back.

 _That almost killed me._ _Kaede_ _almost killed me. The one I thought wouldn't succumb to the killing game...this isn't her fault. This is Monokuma's fault. It's that stupid bear's fault for making this stupid game in the first place._

When I get outside the school building, going through the back door from the empty dining hall, I stop in my tracks. Where am I even going? I don't know what to do. Do I tell the others and warn them that Kaede's lost it first? Or do I hide and stay hidden? If I run into her again...maybe she won't miss next time. Maybe she'll even manage to convince the others that I'm working with Monokuma.

Then I'll hide. Hopefully this is the right choice, but besides that, where do I hide? It's not like this place has the greatest of hiding spots, and I'm apparently the worst hide and seek player. I get the choice of a locker, that one classroom I still have the key to, and my dorm room where she's likely to look next (and I really want to be somewhere where I won't be scared she'll beat the door down with the shot-put ball to the handle).

I look up along the back of the school building, blinking at the ledge just above the second floor of the building with a familiar thought.

 _I can climb that._

Shivering, I run to the side with the easiest looking footholds and I climb up the side, not bothering to even pull my hair up like I usually do. I'm about fifteen or sixteen feet up when I hear the door below to the dining hall open, feeling my lungs constrict as the air is caught in my throat once more.

I glance down...and promptly let out a quiet breath of relief when I see Miu marching out. The comfort of seeing someone I trust nearly makes me call her out so I can make my way back down, but I stop myself and press my lips in a tight line to keep silent. If Kaede asks around to find me…

Waiting for Miu to get far enough that she won't notice my expedition up the back of the school building, I eventually climb a few feet more.

As I'm pulling myself over the ledge, I miscalculate my strength and weight as I hurl myself over the ledge and in that gap of the building, landing in a jumbled heap with a squeak when my legs flip over me as a result of my tumble. There's only one way to get into the school from this part of the school's exterior- the windows to the second floor just below this ledge. So I'd have to climb under and jump to get back inside from up here.

Grunting when I get over the fact that I've quite nearly eaten dirt as a result of my little tumble, I sit up and dust myself off of the gray and white dust and torn leaves. Overgrowth is everywhere along the back of the school and in this ledge. I'd expect to find Gonta's beloved bugs hiding up here, but despite the secluded area, there are still none.

 _Well...besides that, Kaede definitely won't think to find me up here._

For a moment, I smile and let out a sigh...until it all really hits me and completely wipes my relief away.

Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist, actually tried to kill me. The one that said before she absolutely wouldn't succumb.

And yet, here she is- the first one to attempt it out of desperation to end the killing game and escape with everyone. Except me, of course. Sure, "we won't ever kill" is a noble thought, but I don't doubt that for every one of us here in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles- there is not one person that's exempt of having a good reason to kill if they're given the proper accommodations.

That's probably what makes the killing game all the more scary. Monokuma can turn _anyone_ into a potential killer.

Even poor Kaede.

 ** _End of 2.14 - We Won't Ever Kill_**

* * *

 _A/N: EDITED!_

 _Heads up, D-Day is upon us AFTER the next chapter. Monokuma won't be the only one throwing popcorn at the screen waiting for a murder, hehehe_

 _Edit: Turns out the next chapter had to be extended so I can set up the scene properly for what's to come owo 2.16 will be D-Day!_


	27. 2:15 - Traumatic Behavior

**_2.15 - Traumatic Behavior_**

"-mean?"

"I mean it's been more than four hours and I haven't seen a single strand of hair from Prairie. I'm worried."

"She's probably hiding in a locker somewhere. You know our silly little Prairie Dog!"

"Hmm...well, perhaps can go our separate ways looking for her. I'm content searching for her whereabouts outside in the courtyard. Kokichi can-"

 _"Nnnnope!_ I'm not interested in looking for, Prairie Dog. She's always a meanie to me and hurts my feelings!"

"If that were true, why do you always seek her out then, Kokichi?"

"Because deep down... _way_ deep down...I'm truly and irrevocably in love with her!"

…

…

"You're banned from talking to Prairie."

"Heey, that's not your call to make! It's Rantaro's!"

"It's _Prairie's_ call. And if you want to keep squabbling over here, Kokichi, be my guest. Kiyo and I are gonna keep looking around."

"Hnnn, _fine._ I'll help look for her inside the school then since you're gonna be bullies about it. I'll probably find her before you guys do!"

As soon as Rantaro, Korekiyo and Kokichi are quiet, I get up on my knees to lean over the edge and peek down at them curiously. The three of them are looking over their Monopads, likely looking around for my GPS signal from my Monopad.

"It would seem she's set her signal to be hidden. Not the most honest thing for a person to be doing in a killing game…" Korekiyo points out, prompting Rantaro to turn his head towards him.

"Some people like the security of being alone once in a while," the green haired teen defends, turning his monopad off and shoving it in his pants back pocket. "If you can't understand that, I don't know what to tell you, Kiyo."

"Ooo-hoo- _hoo_ ~! Careful there, Rantaro, you don't know what kind of hexes a guy like Kiyo can throw on you!" Kokichi laughs, ever the clown despite the tension in the air. Meanwhile, I just look down at the three as they interact, Kokichi moving his Monopad in a few angles as if to get a better look of something on his screen.

Doing nothing really comes easy when you're scared out of your wits and hiding, that much I've learnt.

 _Maybe it's time I come down though. I should really-_

"Guys, when you find her, can you send her my way? There's...something I need to apologize for. It's _extremely_ important," I hear Kaede's voice as she steps into view, causing me to duck down behind the cavity of the wall instantly as my stomach twists in discomfort.

"Oh? Why's that?" Korekiyo inquires, obviously curious for more details.

"Um...I'd prefer talking it over with Prairie first. If she's okay with it, then I'll tell you guys…" Kaede answers uncomfortably, to a level that has my heart thudding painfully with guilt. She sounds sort of sad, and even though I shouldn't feel guilty since I didn't do anything wrong, I can't help the emotions that well up in my gut.

Is she regretting the attempted murder? Or simply making a show of guilt so the boys bring me to her where she can finish the job?

 _I don't know. I don't know what to do, I don't know who to trust, Kaede just proved to me that even the people with the purest of intentions can be sullied by the likes of Monokuma. What do I do if Rantaro gets twisted in a similar manner? Then who am I left with? Kokichi? Tsumugi? Maki?_

I curl up over the vines and leaves with an exhausted sigh, pulling out my monopad to check the time and screw around with a little drawing app I found in it during my time hiding here. It's not the best of drawing applications, but it certainly does the trick of staving away my boredom.

It's four PM right now. It hasn't been an entire twelve hours, so it's strange that Rantaro would rather look for me than take advantage of the deal he worked so hard to attain..unless he really thinks I'm getting into trouble. Then he sucks for not trusting me.

 _All of this stinks. This is all Monokuma's fault for tainting Kaede. I'm tired of hiding, but I'm too scared to even consider climbing back down._

"Praaairie Dog~! Where are yoouuu~?" I hear Kokichi call out in a sing-song voice from the second floor beneath my hiding spot on the school wall, choosing to ignore him in favor of continuing my drawing of Shuichi with chicken features out of mild bitterness. He better not have the same ideas about me as Kaede does… "You know, for once I think I've got to hand it to you! You've learned the ways of a master hide-and-seek player! Bravo!"

 _Go away, rat, you bug me. I almost got murdered, the last thing I want is to be found and talked to._

I give Shuichi a gobbler under his chin, laughing a little under my breath lowly. I'm still reeling over what almost happened earlier, but this is definitely a good distraction. I _need_ a good laugh. I need to remind myself I'm still alive and still kicking.

"Maaan, I wonder what's caused you to go into hiding like this though. Did somebody hurt your feelings? Someone like Kaede?"

Rolling my eyes, I save the dumb picture and open a new canvas, drawing Kokichi's next and going with an elongated rat face for him. No mercy, none whatsoever.

"...You're being awfully quiet considering I've only hinted I know you're listening to me, like, three times already. Do I have to spell out that I know where you are?" Kokichi eventually snaps, his voice laden with such an amount of irritation that's both unexpected and unwarranted that I quit mocking him in my head and sit up a little in horror.

 _He knows?! ...No way. He's totally bluffing. He's only saying that so I_ _think_ _I've been found and I come out of my hiding spot. And then he'll be like, "oh, ha-ha, you fell for my trap!"_

…

Quiet? I knew it. He stopped talking and left because I didn't come out. B-L-U-F-F!

I cross my legs and lean back again, playing with my zipper and zipping it up and down my body with one hand as I use my left hand to keep drawing aimlessly. An ugly rat face for an annoying rat boy.

"...Boo."

The puff of air that hits my ear and cheek makes me jump up and squeak from where I'm seated on the vines in my hiding spot, spinning around and facing Kokichi who's now making an effort to push over the ledge like I had. Similar to how I got in, he tumbles in a heap with a grunt, pulling himself up on the vines and leaves to look at me.

"What, did you think I was only bluffing? Sooorrry~! I saw your reflection on my monopad from below when you peeked down at us!" Kokichi exclaims.

 _It's a good thing I zipped my suit up before he jumped over, I would have never been able to live it down if he had seen anything. My ultimate outfit doesn't exactly have a stupid bra to go with it._

"SO! Nice hiding spot! If I hadn't seen you, I would have never thought to look here!"

I click my teeth and mad-dog him. "...Thanks."

 _What now? I don't know what to say to him. I didn't want to talk to anybody in the first place, I just wanted to be left alone._

"By the way, what the heck is this face you drew for me? I'm way better looking than this and you know it! This is a disservice to my cute looks!" Kokichi objects, picking up my monopad where I dropped it and giving my artwork a sour look.

"It's your proper rat face. When nature gave you _that_ face, it was a horrible mistake," I huff, snatching my monopad back now that he's decided to critique a drawing he shouldn't have seen in the first place.

"...so my cute face is a mistake?" Kokichi inquires innocently, using his features to his advantage as we speak. Yes, it was definitely a mistake for him to have gotten that face.

"Absolutely," I confirm, giving him a look.

"So you agree it's cute though, right? You think my face is cute? _Super_ cute?"

"Cool it before I hurl you off the side of the ledge, Rat," I growl, leaning back and eyeing this invader of my personal space. "Why are you bugging me anyways? Does me hiding not inform you that I'd like to be alone?"

Kokichi blinks owlishly.

I blink back.

"Okay, if you wanna jump into that right away then- I'm bugging you cause I wanna! And I knew you wanted to be alone, I just didn't care. So why are you hiding from Kaede and everyone?" Kokichi asks, prompting my eyes to narrow on him irritably. Straight to the point, that works for me.

"None of your-"

"Does it have to do with the huge dents in the piano lab? Praairieee Dooog, did you try to kill Kaede?"

 _"No!"_ I object in a vicious snap, catching myself before I can say anything else I might regret and cooling my temper down a bit despite Kokichi's clear amusement. I look away when he stares at me, searching me for an answer I'm just not willing to give. "Nothing happened."

"So nothing caused those dents? I don't think so~" Kokichi also objects. "Tell me!"

"I don't know what caused those dents," I blatantly lie, not even caring whether he believes me or not at this point. Maybe I'm just making a feeble attempt at lying to myself so I don't have to think about what happened in that piano lab.

 _What am I doing? I should just tell the truth. Kokichi can take it...maybe. Or he'll call me a liar like Kaede did._

"Aww, your hiding skills may have gotten better, but I think you got worse at lying," Kokichi laments in a mocking drawl towards the end. "If you wanna lie like the pros do, you need to make eye contact with the person you're lying to. And stop sitting like a board plank, it only makes your lying look more obvious. Now try lying properly."

 _That's all it takes? He's totally lying._

I turn to face Kokichi if only to distract myself and humor him, following his orders to make eye contact with him...and shuddering immediately when I see this purposefully uncomfortable stare he's giving back to me. In an instant, I whine and look away pathetically.

"Idiot, I can't maintain eye contact when you're making a weird face at me like I'm some kind of mystery organism…!" I accuse, causing Kokichi to snicker and laugh as a result when I fluff my hair over my red face of embarrassment.

"So now will you tell me what happened in the piano room with Kaede?"

I'm about to snap at him again when he suddenly hoots and sits closer to hug my arm with his own unexpectedly. Just like that, my red face gets warmer to the point that I might end up passing out. This interaction with him has been an embarrassment since the start, I'm not sure I'll be able to take more of it.

"L-Let go!"

"No! Tell me! No one knows Kaede is involved or that anything might have happened, but I figured it all out because I'm so smart. Right, Prairie Dog?"

 _"Wrong!"_ I complain, ready to object and lash out at anything else he says as I attempt to force him to release my arm fruitlessly. "Can you please leave already?"

"But I wanna be here with you. This can be like our secret clubhouse!" Kokichi insists, eyes brightening at the thought while I just scowl his way.

"A secret clubhouse," I echo with disinterest. "With me. The person you don't trust, don't like, and don't care about whatsoever."

A bitter taste crawls onto my tongue, considering what happened the _last_ time I was alone with someone that said they didn't trust me. A shot-put ball aimed at my melon, that's what. Midst my thoughts, Kokichi hugs my arm tighter and makes a sour face himself.

"Dumb, I don't just distrust you, I distrust _everyone!_ You're not special at all!"

 _"Then why are you here clinging to me and torturing me?"_ I demand, my tone shifting to dangerous levels of barely contained anger since I'm just so irritated by my lack of personal space at this point.

"I live for danger! I live on the edge because I'm so cool and edgy!" Kokichi declares so matter-of-fact that all my rage diffuses entirely as a result.

"... _Pffft!"_ I turn away to sputter in laughter before looking back at Kokichi's grinning face. He doesn't appear as amused as his smile is letting on, but if he wants to fake joking around, I can do that too. "Good luck with that- the edgiest thing about you is that knife you carry, butter ball."

Just like that, he flips that knife of his with the dice out from out of nowhere, holding the blade to my neck with a sinister smirk. I go dead quiet and my smile completely dissipates in the blink of an eye.

"Is it really? Jeez, Prairie Dog, you need to be careful who you mock or someone's eventually gonna kill you!" Kokichi laughs before eventually closing his knife and returning it to whatever pocket he usually keeps it in.

If anything, after what I've been through…

That little threat of his was probably the worst thing eh could have thought to joke about. My blood pressure rises and my temper spikes back up again, along with this strange feeling of sudden helplessness as my chest rises and falls faster with the tightening of my lips.

"Someone's eventually gonna kill me...yeah, that's right. Probably right around the corner, huh?" I say, standing up so unexpectedly and swiftly that Kokichi is forced to release my arm as a result of my movement. "Which do you think is better, jumping off the building here-" I climb up to freely stand on the ledge that makes up the cavity of the little hiding spot, looking down at the distance I'd fall. Fifteen or so feet is really no laughing matter, it certainly sounds less than it looks- that's for certain. "-or having my head hacked off by Monokuma's Exisals?"

"Prairie Dog-"

"You know, either way it's not like anyone actually gives a shit," I drop a curse in a casual sugary tone as I turn on the ledge to look Kokichi's way in a risky movement. He's standing up now too, looking up at me with an unreadable expression. He looks neither concerned or amused by my behavior. "If I die, boo-hoo. Eventually you guys will get over it and someone else will die, so my death would be more or less arbitrary."

I start to walk along the edge in a power walk, prompting Kokichi to follow along my side with in the cavity of the ledge.

"Oh, you don't have to be so close. If I die falling it'd be a suicide, so you wouldn't be responsible or considered a blackened," I chirp, closing my eyes and leaning forward to perform a one handed cartwheel to scare him.

I think I feel Kokichi reach out for my arm momentarily before he pulls back when his fingertips brush the bicep of my arm. To be honest, it's likely my imagination. Maybe my brain is trying to ease my trauma by making me believe even someone as cold as Kokichi cares. But Kokichi? Concerned about _me?_ That'll be the day.

"That's all that matters in the end, right? Don't murder? Don't get yourself killed? How stupid. That's all we're worth in here, remember?" I do another graceful cartwheel, this time backwards. I stop on the fourth interval, eyes closed as I keep myself stable and in a completely straight form with only one hand on the ashy ledge to support my weight. "You know, I don't have to mock or belittle anyone to be murdered, all I need to do is mind my own business. 'Cause this is a killing game, and we're all capable of murder. So am I and so are you. Eventually, Monokuma will accommodate us in a situation where murder is the only clear answer- even though it's not. There's no way out of here at all. Committing murder to escape is just a fancier way to die by execution."

"Prairie Dog, you're being really weird. And un-fun. Get down from there."

"I don't want to," I answer to Kokichi's blunt and awful attempt at getting me to calm down. "Why should I anyways? Are you scared that I'll fall and splatter my brains seven ways to Sunday? Or are you just scared of me instigating the start of the killing game?"

I open my eyes to look at him, noting the bored look he wears on his face despite my actions.

"I'll bet it's that last one. But if the person that dies isn't me, someone else's death will evidently start the killing game, you know? In that case," I pause and close my eyes to right myself and then skip over to the side of the ledge opposite of where we climbed up, all the way to the other end of the back of the school. Kokichi is still following closely, eyes like a hawk before I stop and throw him a smile. This smile of mine is less cheerful and more careless than anything this time. "Bye, Kokichi!"

I kick off the ledge slightly and jump with my eyes closed, catching the window frame to the second floor and easily slipping into...that stupid Ultimate Pianist lab. I make a small noise of disgust when I open my eyes and shove the bench out of my way, taking a seat on the stage and fuming as I wait for the clumsy rat to eventually make his way back in. Seems like Kaede threw the shot put ball a few other places for some reason, as there's more dents than I remember there being when I ran out of here.

The longer I stare at the shattered piano keys, the more I sober up- until I'm left in a quiet and somber mood upon Kokichi's re-entry. He pauses at the window and approaches me where I'm sitting. Taking a seat on the stage beside me, we both quietly stare at the piano keys wordlessly as if it's nothing out of the ordinary.

"...Finished being dramatic then?" Kokichi eventually asks, a casual tone to his voice as I shoot him a nasty look and hop off of the stage.

"What part of 'I want to be alone' do you not understand?" I demand, storming out of the piano lab and letting the door slam back against the wall as I throw it open and exit. Unfortunately, Kokichi follows closely and grabs hold of my arm again to my dismay. "Ko _ki_ _chi…!"_

 _"Prairie Doooog…!"_ Kokichi echoes, clearly bearing no respect for my boundaries still.

I can't take it anymore and I'm at my limit. My face is red hot with rage, I'm extremely stressed out, I'm terrified of everyone stabbing me in the back, and I just want to be alone. If he keeps pushing me, I might _actually_ break his nose right here and right now.

Ruffling all my brown curls over my freckled face when I feel heat crawl down my neck, I curl up and sink down to the broken tiles and overgrowth beneath our feet. If Kokichi won't let me be alone, I'm gonna keep being dramaticthen. Screw him.

"What are you doing?"

Thankfully, all the hair over my face does well to cover my expression. Just breathe, everything will be fine...probably. No need to attack Kokichi.

"Ahh, is this you being dramatic again? Guess you weren't as done as I initially thought."

 _He's always mocking me. He's always mocking everybody, but this has never bothered me as much as it does right now. Maybe I'm a little sensitive at the moment since I nearly had my head bashed in by Kaede._

"Prairie Dog, get up, you look pathetic," Kokichi tries to get me moving again, pulling on my arm. When he tries to get me to stand, I stay curled up and let him drag me along until he lets out a groan. "Okay, you're being a real snore-fest now."

 _I don't care. Then leave._

Kokichi releases my arm and walks away for a moment. When he returns, he grunts as he sits down beside me. I can feel him putting something on me bit by bit. It feels like leaves or grass- something light. He doesn't say anything else now, likely allowing time to pass until I come to my senses again. Honestly, I don't know if I will. Not with him here at least and not while I'm crying. It's not that I just _look_ pathetic, I _feel_ pathetic too. Am I PMsing? I don't know. I don't know what's normal behavior following a near death experience as a result of betrayal.

Kaede was just so nice and fiery...when she stood up against the monokubs and Monokuma in the gym before, I wanted to be like her too. Now I _definitely_ don't, which is extremely painful for me.

What if she's realized her mistake though? What if she really wants to apologize? I can't get her stunned face out of my head...after she tried to hit me with the shot-put ball, she looked like she felt _bad._ Should I go talk to her? Or is it a trap?

I don't know how much time passes until I hear Kokichi sigh in almost exasperation.

"Please for the love of god, just go away and leave me alone," I manage to say with an eerie calm under my hair, turning away from him when he tries to push my hair away. "Don't look at me."

"Why? Are you crying?"

" _You're_ crying," I snap, only for Kokichi to switch sides and successfully push my hair out of the way. At the sight of the small angry tears that have started to run over my cheeks just barely, he hums like he's completely unaffected. I can see now what he's decided to spend time sprinkling over me midst my pitiful state of mind- white little flowers as large as my fingernails. They cling to my hair and clothes, decorating me and the floor around me. It's sorta...charming...but I'm not in a good state to really appreciate it.

I'd appreciate him _leaving_ a lot more.

"Could have fooled me, Prairie Dog," Kokichi comments, suddenly laying down beside me in a similar curled up fashion. "We can just lay here together."

 _Please just GO AWAY._

Just as I make another angry groan and slap my hands over my face to keep myself from going feral, I hear a voice that has relief flooding my system. For once I'm absolutely elated to hear that deep velvety voice I know so well.

"Prairie! There you are, I've book looking everywhere for y-"

I sit up immediately, getting on my feet and racing over to Rantaro where he is by the stairs. My out of character behavior seems to surprise him, but he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me when I cling to him and breathe carefully to avoid going crazy on Kokichi.

"Prairie?" I grunt as I stay glued to him, willing all the doubts and fears in my mind away. Monokuma won't twist Rantaro around, he absolutely won't. I won't let that happen. "Prairie, talk to me, what's wrong?"

"She's having a mental breakdown. I think it has to do with whatever her and Kaede have going on between them, but Prairie Dog won't tell me anything! So rude!" Kokichi huffs from where I left him as Rantaro dusts and picks the little white flowers off of me.

"Alright, well if you've been asking like _that,_ I can see why she wouldn't say anything. Now, is she upset for this Kaede thing, or did _you_ make her upset?" Rantaro's tone is even and suspicious, but Kokichi just goes ahead and clears his throat.

"Prairie Dog, are you upset?"

 _"No, I'm perfectly fine,"_ I confirm defiantly with a sharp and unwavering voice. As silly as it may seem, I don't want to verbally admit I'm not okay. If I do, the waterworks will spill out, and they won't be a few angry tears. I need to keep it together.

 _You call_ _this_ _keeping it together?_

I tell my inner voice to put a cork in it.

Once Rantaro finishes picking off all the flowers from me, he eventually lets out a sigh of resignation.

"Well, alright. My mistake, Prairie," he agrees without a fight, right before bending down a little to lift me up in his arms easily. I'm probably really light for him, considering how small I am. "Well, we're off then. See you later, Kokichi."

"Fine, fine. When you get a chance away from Prairie Dog later though, come find me! I need to talk to you! And don't hog her for yourself!" Kokichi exclaims, zooming past us so that I'm left being carried by Rantaro as I make a valiant effort to calm my crazy emotions down.

Rantaro's going to want to know what happened now...but I still don't know if I want to say anything. I'm sort of scared of putting Kaede back in a situation where everyone is ganged up against her again. Especially if she really _does_ feel remorse for trying to kill me.

"Prairie, don't worry about anything for now, okay? You can explain whenever you feel comfortable. You're doing great," Rantaro reassures me, heading down the stairs so that I fluff my hair over my face as we make our way outside.

The rest of our walk back to the dormitory building is more or less tranquil, much to my relief.

* * *

My eyelids flutter open and I yawn, feeling completely refreshed as I snuggle into my black pillow to sleep some more.

...Until I realize this isn't my pillow.

 _Huh?_

I lift myself on all fours and scowl at the black sheets and pillow under my head, cocking my head a smidgen towards the side. I don't know what time it is, but this isn't my room and I can't remember how I got here or got tucked in.

Brushing my hair out of the way and sitting up properly, I rub my eyes to rub the sleep out of my eyes and wince when I remember why my head feels like such a mess.

 _Oh, right. Kaede. And stupid Kokichi._

I sigh and rub my face more, dragging my hands through my bangs as the door opens. I jump in surprise, but relax when I see who steps in with a smile when he sees me.

"Hey there," Rantaro greets when I give him a small smile on my part. To my pleasant surprise, he comes in carrying two mugs of something. "I couldn't find the tea, so I figured hot cocoa would have to suffice."

He closes the door with a foot and makes his way to me, handing me a mug so I'm able to see the marshmallows in the toasty warm drink.

"Thank you," I say, taking a sip as Rantaro takes a seat on his bed beside me, kicking his shoes off lazily. Thankfully he still isn't asking me about what made me fall apart and silence myself in quiet anger, and I make a point to just curl up beside him and sip my hot cocoa. I'll have to tell him eventually...I don't think I have the heart to keep something like this from Rantaro.

However…

I finish my hot cocoa after some thinking and careful consideration now that I'm not totally overwhelmed with emotions, setting my empty mug on the night table and facing Rantaro who's reading that book of his from before. Noticing my movement, he glances my way momentarily.

"Kaede tried to kill me."

And there it is out in the open. Rantaro doesn't even close or dog ears his book, the thing falling in his lap as I continue.

"So I'm gonna go to her room and talk to her," I add, moving to leave until Rantaro scrambles up and grabs my arm to pull me back to the bed.

"Wait a second, Prairie. That's a really severe accusation you're just dropping- and now you want to go _see_ Kaede?" He stops, looking like he's having trouble processing what I've just revealed. _"Kaede?_ Before you go anywhere, can you sit down and elaborate before you go off on another reckless suicide cruise?"

Rantaro appears vexed, but is clearly controlling it well. At that, even though I don't want to, I sigh and sit down next to him again. Once I'm back at his side comfortably, he eases up a substantial amount.

"Kaede invited me to have piano lessons in her Ultimate Lab earlier today and I found a shot-put ball in her backpack. It looked bad, so I figured I could ask her and maybe talk some sense into her, but she started throwing all these accusations of how _I_ was suspicious…she tried to hit me in the head with the thing, but thankfully missed," I paraphrase for him.

I hear him hum in understanding at the short explanation, rubbing the back of my head gently as if to make sure it's completely intact. "And that's why Kokichi found you hiding up on the back of the school wall, right?"

 _Oh no, don't tell me the rat told him everything…!_

I wince and avoid Rantaro's gaze when he looks at me pointedly, though it's definitely less severe considering the situation.

"What did Kokichi tell you?" I ask, already dreading the scolding I'm about to get.

"He said you went _Cirque Du Soleil_ on the ledge and went on a rant about how we're all going to die." Boy, that rat sure has a way with his words… "Prairie, you don't actually think that, right? I thought I was the pessimist here, but Kokichi made it sound like you took on a fatalist mentality. That's concerning."

"I didn't mean it, n-not really. I'm sorry for scaring you both- I was just, um…" I try to justify my actions, even though there's really no justifying an attempt at scaring Kokichi with killing myself- even if he _wasn't_ scared in the end.

"You were upset from trauma. I get it now, don't worry. I figured it was also Kokichi's fault for pestering and pushing you when you were in such a sensitive state, so don't worry. Kokichi got an earful too, and he definitely didn't enjoy it. I can still see his scowling face right now," Rantaro muses, making me break into a giggle despite what we're talking about. "So after what Kadede did, you still want to go talk to her…"

Rantaro doesn't sound like he's on board with me seeing Kaede at all.

"You don't want me to go," I say more than ask, confirmed by Rantaro when he answers, "No, I absolutely don't want you to go."

I sigh and push off of Rantaro quickly, only for him to leap off the bed and block the door before I can get to it. With a scoff on my part since I only just got on my feet, I give Rantaro a glare.

"Rantaro. _Move,"_ I order, prompting him to smile a bit in mild amusement.

"Good to see you full steam again, Prairie," is all he says, remaining rooted in his spot in front of the door.

"So that's it? I open up to you and you decide to impose your own rules on me again by keeping me here?" I ask, frowning up at him with a bite of annoyance to my words. "You're signing yourself up to become someone I shouldn't tell anything to in the future."

He shakes his head, somewhat frustrated again by the looks of it. "Is it a crime if I want to be selfish and keep you safe?"

"Yeah. It's called criminal confinement."

Rantaro appears somewhat surprised by my quip and laughs awkwardly, causing me to snicker and laugh as well until we're both laughing together at the interesting turn in our conversation.

"Will you let me go now?" I ask, hopeful he's maybe loosened up a bit.

"No."

I let out a groan of exasperation.

"Rantaro, why are you being like this? I didn't tell you so you could lock me in your room, I told you so you'd know who would likely be the most responsible if I were to die," I explain, causing him to laugh with zero humor this time.

"Oh, so I was right. This _is_ another suicide cruise. Now you're _really_ not going."

I grab my hair and ruffle it over my face as I let myself fall back on his bed. Why did I tell him? I should have just said, 'I'm gonna go talk to _Kayayday_ , B-R-B!' and am-scramed out of here.

"Come with me then," I try again through my hair.

"...okay."

I gasp, sitting up and looking at him. He looks resigned and unhappy by even thiscompromise, but just the "okay" alone makes me jump to my feet and run up to him with a hug. Rantaro laughs a little at this, grinning when I look up at him curiously for an explanation.

"It's kind of cute when you go from this hissy tasmanian devil to this sweet little gum drop at the flick of a switch," he comments, causing me to scowl and smack his arm when a red hue begins to coat my features to the point that I have to fluff my hair over my face all over again as a result.

I wave off the butterflies his little statement gives me and reach around him for the door handle, opening it up for escape and ignoring his chuckles when he follows me out.

"Being chaperoned isn't exactly what I had in mind, but if it lets me talk to Kaede, then fine," I huff, brushing my fingers through my hair to at least make myself somewhat presentable. Just so I don't look like the disaster I was when I absolutely wasn't crying. When Rantaro tries to help me fix my hair, I give him a small glare and shoo his hand away. "I let you have your therapy already, that's enough for you. I'm not a doll."

Rantaro actually looks somewhat embarrassed by my call-out regarding his little habits, but I go ahead and speed walk past him to Kaede's door with a heavy heart of both dread and unease. Well, here goes nothing...and at least I have Rantaro here. Now that I think about it, it really is comforting to have him with me for this. Who knows if I might need him to calm me down after I had that rage-quit moment with Kokichi.

I knock on the door, feeling Rantaro stand close beside me as we wait for her to respond.

...

 _ **Ding-dong,** **Bing-bong!**_

My heart increases in speed. There's no way she would be asleep, I can hear the night time announcement playing in her room in sync with the one out here. What if Kaede is so guilty she did something reckless?

 _Why am I so worried about her when she's the one that tried to kill me?_

Nevertheless, I can't help but feel that way the longer she takes to answer the door. I ring the buzzard and make a face when she still doesn't answer. What if someone else hurt Kaede?

…

I reach out and slam my fist a few times into the door as hard as I can until Rantaro stops me.

"Prairie, don't do that. If she's not answering or not there, you're just going to end up hurting yourself doing that-"

The door shakes and there's a yelp as if someone's collapsed on the floor, followed by footsteps racing to the door. When it swings open, I'm met with the disheveled face of Kaede Akamatsu as she stands at the doorway stunned by out appearance. Clearly she wasn't actually expecting me to come see her. She looks about as bad as I did earlier with Kokichi…

"You look awful-" is the first thing out of my mouth, and I quickly note the fault in my words by slapping my hands over my mouth in horror. I can feel Rantaro shooting me a look, probably thinking I'm poking the dragon.

"I...definitely deserve that," she admits, making me hold up my hands to fix my mistake.

"No, no- I mean you look _terrible!"_ I try again, wincing when Kaede's eyes start to somewhat water. I panic of course. "No, d-don't cry, I just mean-!"

"You look like you could use some company, she means," Rantaro steps in to my relief. Now I'm really glad he's here. He rubs my head with an amused but stiff smile of uneasiness. "You tried."

"Yeah, what he said. I don't think you look awful or terrible, you're very pretty," I try to correct myself as she barely manages a teary eyed smile.

"Thanks, but I don't feel very pretty after what I almost did to you. I-" Kaede starts until I cut her off.

"It's okay, I forgive you."

My bluntness seems to surprise both Rantaro and Kaede, causing the two to share a look of concern. The fact that Kaede's concerned as well is promising as far as things go, and I take it as a good sign.

"Prairie...I tried to _kill you._ You can't possibly forgive me that quickly," Kaede reminds me, lowering her voice at the "kill" part. "That's not the same as Tsumugi ignoring you or Kokichi calling you a few names. I _knew_ what I was doing."

"Yeah, sorta...but you don't have the conviction to be a killer. That's why I'm still here. Which is a really good thing, because I still _wanna_ be here. Either way, we can just chalk this up to it being Monokuma's fault," I conclude, smiling at Kaede and then up at Rantaro...who looks like he's in pain or something. He seems like he wants to say something badly, likely in disagreement with what I've said. At that, I yank off my gloves and smack him with them a few times so he focuses on me. "She tried to kill me, not you. Don't make weird faces if you disagree with me."

I look back at Kaede without waiting for Rantaro's response, giving her what I can only hope is a reassuring smile.

"I'm willing to give you another chance if you want. I'm still alive and I can tell you don't want to try killing me again just by the look on your face. We can move past this. Ignore this guy," I say, jabbing my thumb Rantaro's way to his clear disapproval.

"...I...need time to think. But I'd like that though," Kaede says, giving us a timid smile unlike her usual bright and brave nature. "Thanks for still coming by after what happened. I didn't actually think you would, to be honest. I wouldn't have if I were in your place. You're...kind of amazing, Prairie, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."

Rantaro sighs again, like he has much to add to that. I smack him again with my gloves, and retain my smile at Kaede as I grab Rantaro's hand and start pulling him away so we can go back to his room.

"It's a good thing, just accept it. Anyways, I'll leave you to do your thinking then. If you need anything, I'll be around," I comment, watching as Kaede shakes her head with a laugh of mild confusion and eventually shuts the door to her room.

"...you're a danger to yourself, that much is crystal clear to me," Rantaro is quick to speak up while I'm pulling my gloves back on, eyeing the burn on my left hand with a critical eye when he sees the jagged discolored patch on my palm. "What happened to your hand?"

"I burned it," I dismiss it quickly, making sure to keep my body relaxed just as Kokichi had instructed me to while lying. I'm not lying right now, but I definitely don't want to get scolded for something that happened a while ago. I can't look dumb Rantaro in the eye right now anyways. "What time is it?"

As we enter Rantaro's room again, he pulls out his monopad from his pocket and flicks the screen on. "It's ten minutes past ten at night."

I sit back on his bed and play with some of my hair when I notice him looking at me closely. Confused, I look down and around for whatever he could be distracted by, but it seems it's just me that's distracting him.

"...What?" I ask, blinking at him when he doesn't answer for several seconds. I have a feeling I know what's flying around in his head and I leer at him as a result so he knows I can tell. "You can do what you want, Rantaro- but if I wanna see Kaede again later, you're going to have to stay out of my way. In case you forgot, you didn't find a way out in the end."

"Prairie, you and I both know neither of us were actually going to stick to that deal on either end," Rantaro sighs in resignation, prompting my eyes to widen slightly. His words knock all my senses out of proportion where I sit, and I immediately look away.

 _"Neither of us were actually going to stick to that deal"...? He thought that? Then what was the point of the deal?_ _I_ _tried to do my part!_

 _...he tricked me. He lied to me_ _again._ _I open myself up to him over and over, but he never reciprocates. He hides behind the excuse that I'd behave recklessly if he did, but in reality he just doesn't want to admit it that he doesn't trust me. Monokuma was right, he just wanted me out of his way because I get into trouble a lot._

I stand up and pull on my boots, walking up to him and the door and gesturing for him to move aside. There's no fire in my movements. Now I'm just exhausted and I'm ten times more drained than I was when Kokichi set me on fire earlier.

Rantaro must sense something between us has gone very sour because before moving he reaches forward to wrap me in a hug. I let my arms hang slack, making no attempt to hug him back since I have zero affection in me right now.

Once he releases me from the embrace, his expression one of extreme guilt that I dismiss due to my own distraught feelings, he opens the door for me and watches me walk out of his room into the dorm building.

"Good night, Rantaro," I say with an emptiness similar to that of Kaede's, turning to leave the dorm building. I doesn't close his door, likely since he can see that I'm not making my way to _my_ dorm room.

I don't care what he does. I don't care if he's worried, I don't care if he gets mad, I don't care if he's disappointed or even proud of me.

 _I shouldn't be surprised, I know trust has no business in an environment like this and that no amount of attempting to show others how trustworthy I am will fix the issues we have with one another. I have a terrible past that makes even the people that like me_ _not_ _trust me, and we're all expecting a murder to happen._

 _Rantaro didn't agree with me trying to fix things with Kaede. Probably because he knows that my "niceties" aren't going to fix any of our problems._

"Hahaha! Sure stings, doesn't it, Ugly?!"

As if I wasn't already exhausted enough.

"Aw, I guess he's just not as into you as you were into him~! It's okay, there's more fish in the sea. Maybe not for someone as ugly as you, but there's definitely more for someone as cute as me."

Monophanie and Monosuke follow me on either side as I walk along the path to head to the school. I don't know where I'm going and I'm definitely not sleepy anymore.

"Face it, Monophanie! _No one_ is into a snobby little brat like Ugly! That would be the equivalent of loving actual turd! Because that's all Ugly's net worth amounts to!" Monosuke laughs, jumping around me as I walk.

"You should just kill him! Since blondie couldn't murder you, I'm sure you're just kempt up with rage, aren't you? Good! Go put it to use! He doesn't care about you at all, so show him you don't care about him either!" Monophanie chirps in delight like she's giving me some kind of positive pep talk.

 _Idiots. It's_ _because_ _I care about him that I feel so bad about it in the first place._

I tune out their heckling until they bound away after a little more of them poking fun at me, my stomach turning with unease once I'm left to my devices. I feel bloated but stop when I pass a building door with a string of feminine curses floating out of it. Curious, I turn my head to look at the modern building. I've never given this short building much thought before...what is it?

Reaching out hesitantly, I open the door and peek in to see another ultimate lab- senses overloaded with the amount of mechanical items and assets lying around the large room. It's a bit of a pigsty...but when I see who's cursing at a desk and desperately trying to do, uh, something- I realize there must be a method to this mess.

"Miu?" I speak up despite everything inside me telling me to turn away and just not talk to anyone.

The blonde looks up and turns, grinning when she sees me.

"Oh, Prairie! You're a sight for my sore beautiful eyes! You'll never guess the shit that happened today, c'mere and sit your sweet ass down!"

I blink and can't resist a smile at her usual crude mannerisms, pushing open the door more and stepping in the rest of the way as I shut it behind me and stroll on over to the desk she's standing by.

"Get this, Poo-ichi came up to me with freakin' _zit tits_ and they literally fell to my damn feet and begged me to make a system of automatic cameras for them. Who the hell does that?! I mean, not that people don't already fall to my feet on a regular basis, I at least expected Poo-ichi to do it," Miu half laughs, screwing the panel of a disposable camera back into place.

"Poo-ichi...which 'ichi' is that? We kinda have two of them I consider poop. Also, who's zit- ah, the _other_ one?" I ask, not quite at Miu's level to refer to body parts with slang.

"PFFT! You're right, we have the misfortune of being infested with Poo-ichis! But I'm talking about the quiet one that likes to stare at tits. And speaking of, _zit tits_ is Kaede! Ugh. The other day she tried to tell me she didn't have sour, saggy as shit tits and threw a fit when I dove in to check. We're both chicks, the fuck was she so upset about?" Miu growls, before pausing and setting her things down to turn towards me curiously.

Her eyes drag down to my chest.

 _Oh no._

Before I can even think about running away, she reaches out and gropes me shamelessly- instead startling a terrified yelp of distress out of me when my face lights on fire.

The door to the lab swings open and Miu pauses in her assessment to look over my shoulder as I turn my embarrassed red-faced gaze to see Rantaro at the doorway with a look of...something I can't quite name. Disgust? Concern? Fear? Who knows. Of course he didn't stay in his room though, no surprise there. Why'd he have to end up walking in on me like _this_ though?

"Oh, hey, Boy-Toy!" Miu greets with a laugh before giving my chest one last examine and humming to herself once I'm allowed to cross my arms over myself to recover now that I've been utterly robbed of my pride as a woman. "You're sure lucky she likes you, shithead! These god-send tits are worth more than those worthless balls you scratch on a sunny day, so you better treat her right, got it?! Anyone that tries to hurt Prairie has to deal with me!"

"...Right," Rantaro simply resorts to answering, walking the rest of the way to us and sighing as he stops beside me uneasily. We completely avoid looking at each other, likely due to the uncanny but quiet disagreement after his tactless confession that he wanted me out of his way.

... _He's worried about me. Legitimately worried. It doesn't excuse the fact that he doesn't trust me enough to tell me other things, but I guess I can understand why he would have to trick me to make sure I wouldn't get into trouble. If he asked me up-front to stay out of trouble without hanging some kind of reward in front of me considering the time limit, I'd have never gone along with it._

 _But…_

I look up at him, taking initiative to break the thin wall between us before it can reinforce itself.

"How did you know I would try to stick to my word to you?" I ask curiously, making him look my way and offer a bit of a smile.

"Because you know I care about you," he explains, rubbing my head and looking back at the exit of the lab despite my dry expression at his answer...even if he is somewhat right. He looks tired, but he's got another thing coming if he things I'm going back to the dormitories. If he wants to follow me around, so be it, but I'm not doing anything _he_ says.

"You two can use that couch there if you need to chill or make out. Use the table if ya wanna kick your feet up," Miu comments, obviously tired as well by the sound of her voice- even if she is obviously excited to have us in the room with her.

She must get lonely often if she allows us to stick around here with her...that or she just really likes having Perfect Blitz around.

Rantaro immediately drags me over to the long couch and lays on his side across it, pulling me with him. When I refuse to lay down and swat his hand away lightly, he evidently gets the point and simply lets me sit beside him as I watch Miu work her magic curiously.

Time passes where I just watch Miu work from the couch- up until I can't help but stand and rejoin her by her desk to get a closer look. She doesn't seem to mind even though she's totally quiet and focused on her work, playing with wires and adding components to another disposable camera with a precision that could probably rival my own intuition.

 _I wonder if I could do these kinds of things like Miu. She's actually really cool, and her talent is a pretty valuable one._

I look back at the Ultimate Adventurer...and blink in surprise when I realize he's fallen asleep on the couch. Ah, so that's why he didn't try to stop me when I got up again.

...

I walk back over to Rantaro and bend down to poke his cheek.

No response.

I pinch his nose a little to see if that wakes him up.

Still nothing. He's still breathing, but even when I close his nose, he ends up breathing through his mouth quietly.

 _Wow, I didn't know he was a heavy sleeper. Or maybe he's just really tired?_

I sit down on the table in front of the couch, only to stand back up when I realize I've sat on something and pull out a rebel marker from under my leg. This place really is a pigsty, dang.

...

I look from the marker to the sleeping jerk that tricked me and then back at the marker in my hand.

 _I don't forgive him for those other things. He doesn't understand the stress he puts me through on top of everything else I have to worry about._

 _...he deserves this._

I uncap the marker and smile like the sugar sweet gum drop I am, brushing Rantaro's bangs back. He's so handsome that I almost feel bad I'm about to totally ruin his pretty forehead. I'm not gonna go overboard since it's a permanent marker. Besides...he knows I care about him a lot.

If we're going to all die tomorrow, I'm going out with a bang.

Miu gasps when she turns to see me in the middle of writing the second letter, prompting me to look back and hold a finger up to my grinning lips. This is what Rantaro would call acting out and being immature, right? It feels _liberating._

I finish writing and sigh in satisfaction as I look at my work...but then cock my head to the side slightly. Something's missing. I feel like I could do more to this…

And then Miu holds up something silver in my face, prompting my face to turn red despite the fact that the suggestion is genius. This masterpiece of payback is worth a few minutes of shame and embarrassment to reach the pinnacle of its worth.

"Leave one right here too!" Miu whispers.

"N-No, not there, that's too close," I whimper a little.

"Come on, you can do it! You've done worse before, this is a cakewalk in comparison!"

…

"I can't believe I just did that…"

"KHhhkt! Oh my god, Prairie. You know he's totally gonna get you for this, right?"

"I don't even care. That's what he gets for putting me through all this torture. I'm allowed to abuse him since he abuses me twenty-four seven already," I comment, closing the silver item and handing it back to Miu. "Anyways, I'm headed back to my room to sleep. Just leave Rantaro here, I want him to sleep comfortably before he has to deal with the horrors of...this."

"Alright, Prairie! Sleep well, you perfect bitch!" Miu chortles in glee, returning to her desk as I make my way back to the dormitories with a skip to my step. Everything seems substantially brighter after my time with Miu and doing that... _thing_ to Rantaro. Maybe since he has a soft spot for me, like Shuichi said, he won't be so angry?

That, or I'm a dead woman.

I'm in the middle of unlocking my door when Kiibo steps out from his room next to mine, making me look up when I hear him. Kiibo notices me as well, smiling brightly at the sight of me.

"Good evening, Prairie!" He greets me, before faltering a moment and eyeing me closely in curiosity. "Oh, are you...wearing lipstick? That color looks great on you! You look very mature with it on."

Oh the irony.

"T-Thank you, Kiibo. I'm turning in for the night, so I'll see you later!" I shyly state, stepping into my room after a wave to the Ultimate Robot.

"Good night then. Sleep well!" He answers, the click of my room lock ending the encounter as I remove the color from my lips and hit the pillows comfortably for whatever comes tomorrow as a result of the time limit. If we die...well, at least we'll die with dignity knowing none of us were willing to kill each other.

That's really the only silver lining I can see to this debacle, but I don't want to throw in the towel just yet.

 ** _End of 2.15 - Traumatic Behavior_**

* * *

A/N:

Okay, now D-Day's coming in the next chapter FOR REALSIES.


	28. 2:16 - For Perfect Blitz

**_2.16 - For Perfect Blitz_**

 ** _Brring~! Brring~!_**

I flop over on my back and blink at the ceiling of my room. The ringing continues before stopping, leaving my room in silence...before it's soon ringing again. Turning my head lazily, I eventually find my monopad is the source of the ruckus. It's an alarm I set up a little bit ago, but I can't remember what it was.

As if I've got a seventy pound weight strapped to my back, I shift close enough to reach the infernal device, turning the screen so I can squint and read the bright thing.

...An alarm for eleven thirty at night. I just went to sleep an hour or so ago, why did I set this thing up?

 _"Meet up in the boys bathroom",_ it reads.

…

Just like that, my eyes snap open and I sit up quickly. I'm just about to reach for my clothes when I realize I've fallen asleep in my actual ultimate outfit, prompting me to roll my eyes at myself and simply swing out of bed to pull on my boots and belt.

 _I don't need those stupid sleeves or my gloves, I'll be in and out after this._

Once I've got my monopad in its carrier on my belt, I head for the door and promptly open it up. The first thing I turn my head towards is Kokichi's stupid room, staring at it long and hard before glancing around the rest of the dormitory building. Thankfully, it seems as if I'm alone…

I step out and close my room door quietly behind me, hurrying down the steps and out of the building. Outside is as quiet as ever at night, save for the sound of the Exisals currently on carpenter mode clearing up the courtyard and one part of the school we haven't yet gotten access to, it appears.

"Hello, Prairie."

I squeak a little, jumping a foot back until I realize the figure that's spawned in front of me from out of nowhere is Korekiyo.

"Ah, Kiyo. H-Hi," I simply greet, making it somewhat obvious that I'm not exactly ecstatic to see him. He immediately notices this considering the cackle he makes before he's reaching up to fix the mask over his jaw.

"Hm, yes, that's exactly the reaction I expected to receive. I guess it's no surprise you wouldn't enjoy crossing me at an hour such as this- especially considering our lack of time as of now. It's getting rather close to our imminent demise, and I'm sure everyone is particularly nervous about the individuals around them. Such is the nature of this environment..." He responds, making me narrow my eyes at him. Does he think the fact we're all being threatened by Monokuma is funny?

"That's not why I dislike seeing you. In case you forgot, you basically said you were willing to throw me under the bus to save your own skin back in the gym. That my life didn't matter if it gave the rest of you a leg up," I elaborate, drilling a hole into his skull with my gaze.

"My apologies. You had offered us vital information, and at that time it appeared to be the best option for the majority of our group since we lacked your knowledge. I simply went with what was the most logical choice. I had no intention for it to come across as something personal," Korekiyo explains, much to my irritation. Sure, that's sound thinking and all...but it's so morally ambiguous. So he doesn't actually care about the person to stop them from hurting themselves?

"You've got a messed up head, Kiyo. For someone that's studies humanity so much, I wouldn't have expected you to be so cold towards the root subject of your ultimate talent," I huff, crossing my arms and averting my gaze.

"Is that so? I would you rather I care and stop whatever it is you feel you must do to escape from Monokuma and his killing game? Similar to what Rantaro does?" Korekiyo suggests, prompting me to wince a little. Maybe he's right, I don't like how much Rantaro cares...although there needs to be a balance somewhere. Rantaro cares too much, and Korekiyo appears to care too little.

"No. Both of you are wack," I state frankly, crossing my arms as I return my gaze to him.

"...Would you walk with me for a moment? I'd like to hear more of you thoughts regarding me. Perhaps you're right and I need to correct my behavior in some way. If you're in a hurry however, I will understand," Korekiyo surprisingly requests, making me relax a smidgen and bite my lip in thought. He's willing to listen to me and take the advice I'd offer? ...He's really the total opposite of Rantaro.

My cheeks redden a little. What if I tell him something wrong and he takes it as factual? What if I'm actually wrong?

"U-Um...okay," I decide anyways, stepping up to his side and taking a quiet breath. Korekiyo can't be all bad, he was nice before in the gym even though I thought he was a bit creepy after first impressions. Maybe this will be good for me. I haven't hung out with many people besides Rantaro, Kokichi, or Kaede...this will definitely be good for me in one way or another, I'm sure.

"I would like to inform you that I am not completely unfeeling, if that's the impression of me you've garnered. This might not come as a shock, but I do pity the unfortunate. Sympathy or empathy however is a bit harder for me to understand. I only ever feel that around the person I love," Korekiyo speaks first, breaking the ice like it's as thin as paper. How he's so comfortable talking to me, I've got no clue, but I decide to roll with the ball he's tossed me.

"Ah! You're in love? That's actually really nice, Kiyo! Although...the fact that you're saying you only care for them is sorta small-minded in a way. You should definitely love them above most, but you shouldn't be totally unfeeling for the rest of the people around you. If you only open yourself up to one person, you'll be setting yourself up for a very limited support system. You ought to know that yourself. Does the person you're in love with have friends?" I ask, hands relaxing behind me as I smile up at him slightly. This isn't so bad so far…

"Oh, she has many. I've actually helped her meet all her friends myself. In fact, I've been hoping she will meet you too. You're an incredible individual, Prairie. Even outside of your celebrity alias. Not many people have the kind of determination you've exhibited so far while we've been trapped here. You would get along well with her, I would like to think."

I bite my lip to resist a smile, reaching up and scratching the back of my head where I usually wear that stupid bow of mine. Of course, I didn't bother with it tonight.

"Now you're just flattering me and trying to get on my good side," I point out despite the slight blush on my face. "I-I hope you're saying that because you're genuinely interested in befriending me and not simply saving face after you've stepped on my bad side."

"I mean it. I know quite a few of the others have condemned you for your actions, but it isn't in our place to demand you to stop. In my case, it isn't that I'm looking the other way for the reason of not caring. Rather, I'm sure you know what you're capable of and incapable of. For lack of a better word...I trust your instinct. You know yourself better than even your greatest fan here knows you," Korekiyo explains, much to my surprise.

 ** _This_** _. This is what I wish Rantaro would understand!_

"Rantaro needs to take a page out of your book if you really think that. He won't let me do anything. I wouldn't go behind his back to plan these things if I didn't know he would always try to stop me," I huff, biting my tongue before I continue to vent and ruin whatever good thing is happening right now.

"Because he cares too much, correct? I understand that feeling too well. If you were my sister, I admit I would have a much harder time letting you do the things you do- regardless of whatever I believe you to be capable of or not. I'm not sure I would be able to allow it to happen, but then again, we never quite know how we'll respond until we're presented the situation. Such is the way of humanity- or in simpler terms- easier said than done."

I can't help but giggle a little at how casual his last words are. He always talks so eloquently, so hearing something so mundane and cliche is a bit funny.

"I'm glad you're enjoying our conversation. I'm enjoying it myself," Korekiyo says, the corners of his eyes wrinkling to signal the smile I can't see under his mask.

"Yeah, it's nice talking to you actually. It's nothing like sitting down and talking to Rantaro or Kokichi...although, I never want to talk to Kokichi really. He sort of corners me into it most of the time," I laugh nervously in mild embarrassment.

"It seems that I'm not the only one that ought take the suggestion to branch out and create a support system. I'm sure those two are exhausting to spend time with constantly, considering you're mostly unhappy to talk about them."

I sigh, nodding and closing my eyes for a moment. He's definitely not wrong about that, I _should_ take my own advice. It's not like I'm always unhappy around them, but they definitely are tiresome to deal with at times.

And of course, look what branching out with _Kaede_ almost resulted it.

"You're right. At least we're talking to each other, right?" I point out, prompting a nod from the tall ultimate. He's taller than Rantaro, but the idiot with green hair definitely has a bit more meat on his body from what I've been able to tell. I take a deep breath and look up at him again, prompting him to meet my gaze calmly. "You don't think that I'm...suicidal, right?"

"No, Prairie. On the other hand, I actually believe your tenacity to fight Monokuma proves you are willing to do whatever you can without submitting to Monokuma's will. From my point of view, you're clearly a survivor." Korekiyo stops as we near the school entrance, reaching over and surprising me when he takes one of my hands. "I'd like to have another conversation such as this next time. For now...I'll give you this for your time."

He reaches into his pocket and plops what looks to be a ticket from the monokuma machine, making me blink before looking at the prize information.

…!

I gasp loudly, hearing Korekiyo cackle a little in amusement.

"I figured you would find more enjoyment from that prize more than I would. I'll remember our conversation and keep your words in mind, Prairie," he says, releasing my hand and stepping back. "Goodnight."

"G-Goodnight, Kiyo. I'll remember what you've told me too. Sleep well~" I chirp, clearly in a better mood both after the way our conversation went and the ticket he gave me...for a nice juicy nectarine.

I drool as I look down at the ticket, peeking over at the student store as I enter the school building. Remembering what time it is, I shake the thought of the fruit out of my head and continue my way to the boys bathroom. Food at this hour? No, that would ravage my digestion and my sleep schedule. I'll get it in the morning. Might as well if it's likely to be the last time I get to enjoy one.

The rest of my trip to the boys restroom is undisturbed, and I smile when I see Monokid and Monotaro on the other side of the door.

"Hi," I greet them, both bears jumping in delight and turning to face me with big smiles. As soon as I close the door behind me, I take a seat on the floor with the bears.

"AW-RIGHT! Meet-up number two is set! We have small news we've figured out we can share with you! It's about your ages and why it feels outta wack!" Monokid is the first to speak up. "Monokuma won't say shit because he's a jerk, but we can say what we want about it since it's not a big secret!"

"Just try not to panic, it's sorta on the weird side," Monotaro adds, sweating slightly.

"Okay, I'm totally calm...and ready to hear it," I breathe after inhaling deeply. "What's up with our ages?"

"You guys are all seventeen, and unlike how you're missing all your memories, Prairie, the others are missing two years worth of memories. Monokuma just hasn't told them, so that's why they believe they're still first years despite being older. I'm not sure why theirs were wiped, but...we do know they were removed by us and not, ah, the other group we can't mention due to AI limitations. Monokuma apparently is going to be giving them back, but for you...well, Monokuma doesn't know what to do with you. He was expecting you to die today, apparently," Monotaro continues, looking somewhat nervous.

I laugh nervously at that, rubbing the back of my head at the memory of the shot-put ball and Kaede. Thank god my intuition kicked in right on time for me to jump out of the way...

"Uh, why did I think we were first years too though?" I inquire. "I lost all my memories, but I managed to remember being thrown in the back of a van as well as my name, age, and school year."

"Hmm...that first damn flashback light! It might have had some predet-te-tttt-t- FUCK." Monokid grabs his head, sweating a little as he comes to realize what's happened. "I guess we're blocked from admitting that shit too. Damn it."

"We could try writing it down maybe?" I suggest, before the two bears grimace and wince at the same time.

"It's hard writing without thumbs like you humans- but we've also already tried that. We glitch like Monokid just did when we attempt to write notes of information we can't admit too," Monotaro explains sadly, fidgeting with the collar of his cape.

"Ah, well that's okay. At least I know something new, which is more than I can ask for," I beam at the two and stand up again, before replaying Monokid's words in my head.

 _The flashback light had some predet...ermined information? Is that what he was trying to say? I do remember when I woke up to Rantaro I got a bloody nose...and I remember something trying to form in my head. It hurt, but I can't even really remember what was trying to appear. Prairie Marble and Prairie Marvel…that's a weird sort of predetermined knowledge. Almost like it was trying to fit something in that wasn't meant to be there…_

 _...That might be a clue._

I look back at the bears curiously, prompting the duo to return my look with innocent ones of their own as they try to figure out what has entered my mind.

"...I think I know what you were trying to say. Predetermined information, right?" I inquire, watching as both bears automatically tense up.

"HAH?! The hell's that? The flashback lights don't have anything predetermined!" Monokid blurts out unsurprisingly. Their AI's denial really is useful- not very smart of Team Danganronpa to have input something that could be taken advantage of

"...Got it," I say, smiling at the two despite how sad they look by their AI's denial. "Don't worry, that helped. We can talk more tomorrow night. Ah, if I don't die. I'll figure something out, okay?"

Monokid shuffles and then bolts forward to hug my leg, followed closely by Monotaro latching on in a hug to my other leg. Touched, but remembering to stay wary, I end up bending down and rubbing their backs despite my nerves telling me to be careful.

"If I die tomorrow...thank you for everything. I really do appreciate you two helping me like this. Be careful yourselves, alright?" I say, releasing them so they detach from my legs and look back up at me.

"Y-You better not die! Remember, we'll be upset if you do!" Monotaro huffs, followed by Monokid adding, "I'll kick your ASS if you die! So stay alive or _else_!"

I smile and open the door to the boys bathroom, exiting first and sighing once I'm out.

The fact that some of the things I was trying to "remember" after the first flashback light might have been fake isn't a comforting thought. What exactly do I remember? Something about my name...my name is "Prairie Marble", but it was...wrong? And then I remembered my name was "Prairie Marvel"? And apparently that was right, but then I...discarded the information.

 _So wait, what is my name then? Marble or Marvel? Everyone else knows me as Prairie Marble and recognize me as that- so maybe my brain saying Marvel was my name was an attempt at the flashlight trying to trick me to take a fake name?_

 _...No, that wouldn't make sense. If it was fake, then the others would remember Prairie Marvel as the celebrity. Maybe that's my real name? Marvel?_

 _UGH, I'm just asking for a little bit of logic in this place, is that too much to ask? How would it even be possible to plant memories like this in other people's heads? In_ ** _my_** _head? I don't know how else to put it. And if it's the right track, that would mean everyone's memories are compromised, including my own._

I make my way out of the school building and back to my dorm room. All the while, my mind is swirling to make sense of things, and I eventually change into my nightwear and get back in bed. Staring at the ceiling doesn't help make me sleepy, so I eventually flop over tummy down on my bed and close my eyes.

After a little while, my brain stops swirling like mad and I manage to drift off once again.

* * *

 _Here we go. Walk out and if you're lucky, Rantaro isn't already awake and waiting to ambush you outside the door…_

I inhale deeply and turn the knob to my room, stepping out and scanning the entire dormitory lobby for any sign of Rantaro. When I deem the building clear, I relax and let out a breath of relief. Good thing I don't have to deal with him _just_ yet. Nothing has happened, but I'm already starting to rethink my rebellious actions from the night before. While talking to Korekiyo and the good Monokubs, I almost forgot about that bad thing I did.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, that's for sure.

"Prairie Dog!"

 _Gah, not_ ** _him_** _again!_

"Rat Face!" I greet with mocking brightness as cheery as his own upon turning to him, dropping my smile to stare at him dryly after a beat. "Now that we have got that out of the way, _goodbye."_

I turn and start to speed walk down the stairs, not really to get away from him, but to distance myself from the dormitory building in general. The first place I'd expect Rantaro to look for me is my dorm room, and I don't want to be here when he comes by.

For once, Kokichi seems to hesitate following after me from where he's hovering outside his doorway. In the end though I hear him shut his room door, the sound of his footsteps speeding after me quickly to my utter disappointment.

 _Maybe he doesn't really want to be out and about since he knows we're on our last hours, which would mean everyone's on edge like Kiyo said the night before...and perhaps make a murder even liklier as the minutes pass. He has a better chance of surviving if someone chooses to murder and he's safe in his room._

If no one does murder anyone...well, not even hiding in a room will keep an Exisal out.

"I'm gonna hang out with you!" He declares proudly, following me out. Does he really want to after what happened yesterday? Or is he looking forward to torturing me again?

"Why? Aren't you scared of someone buckling under the pressure? You could get murdered," I point out, wrinkling my nose when he grins brightly at me.

"You can get murdered too. But together, we're less likely to get killed since we'll be watching each other's backs and stuff! Like a super duo tag team," he elaborates, keeping up when I lead us in the direction towards the school...and pause at a fork in the path when I see the door to Miu's lab swing open.

Said girl runs out towards the school ahead of Kokichi and I with a hand pressed to her mouth and a knapsack she carries over her shoulder, looking like she's ready to keel over either in pain or...laughter.

 _Oh no._

I have a bad feeling in my gut and I grab Kokichi's hand to swerve behind some of the tall grass, prompting a curious smile to cross his features as he eyes me to figure out the source of my behavior.

"Let's take the long route so we can talk more!" I lie, pulling him along with me and keeping in mind his rules to actnatural _._ Of course, these are _his_ rules in the first place and he's no idiot- so he grins a little when I tick down all of his tips.

"Hm...whatever you say, Prairie Dog! So chatty all of a sudden- I'm glad you're beginning to enjoy my presence!" Kokichi comments in amusement.

"Ah, I mean...if this is our last day, I might as well try and... _enjoy,"_ I can barely get it out, prompting Kokichi to snicker wildly as a result, "your presence."

"Hearing you try to say that with a straight face is almost as funny as you trying to distract me," He jumps the gun, calling me out and teasing me all in the same breath. "Nee-hee-hee!"

"...you say that, but I did trick you before, Kokichi. You fell for an entire _act_ before it finally hit you," I grumble defiantly, releasing his arm and halting in our walk to face him.

Kokichi hums innocently, reaching up to spin one of those unruly locks of his hair around his finger and pretending to think about it. What a rat...he just has to play everything up, doesn't he?

I tap my foot so he knows to hurry up.

"You keep saying it was an act, but you're a terrible liar, Prairie Dog. Everything you said that night was the truth- whether you admit it or not." I go to object, but he continues speaking before I can wrap my head around his claims. "So now, you should be a good girl and tell me what you're trying to hide and stuff."

"Ah-! W-Well, I'm not really trying to _hide_ something, per say," I lie again, feeling my cheeks flush red when he shakes his head and immediately ' _tsks'_ at me for my attempts. I wouldn't have to hide it if he weren't _Kokichi._ He would probably try to use what I've done to Rantaro against me later.

"You dishonor and put me to shame with your lying skills. I even gave you tips to help you get better, but you're clearly a lost cause," Kokichi laments, much to my irritation. "You close in on yourself a lot when you lie. And you do this cute little lip bite when you're thinking of a lie. You even blush _after_ you lie! Girl, you're hopeless."

The fact that Kokichi has noticed all that about me is sorta unnerving, but I just make a face rather than address it. I knew he was observant, but holy cow, he notices a lot more than I would have expected him to.

I'm just about to defend myself when I hear the sound of a door opening, slamming against a wall in the direction of Miu's lab.

"Oh? Someone was in there with that fugly whore?" Kokichi bluntly remarks as he turns his head with me even though we can't see anything past the grass. I gasp and swat at him in offense when he turns back my way with a laugh.

 _"Kokichi!_ Don't call Miu names like that!" I object, watching as he leans from one side to another playfully when he turns his attention back to me. He's doing that Angie thing...he mimics her pretty well actually.

"Would you rather I call _you_ names like that?" He inquires innocently to my annoyance.

"No. I would rather you not call _anyone_ names like that- you're insane," I grunt, tensing up when Kokichi's eyes seem to narrow on me- similar to the way a cat's might when they want to catch something.

There's a few seconds where I wait for him to do something. Just when I think I'm in the clear and that Kokichi's simply being weird, he grabs my hand again and turns to drag me back in the direction of Miu's lab. I squeak in horror, buckling my legs and sitting on the floor so he's forced to stop and look back at me.

"Not this again…" He huffs in mock offense before giving me a good look and smirking menacingly. At the shift in his expression, I shiver noticeably. "I guess I'll just have to _carry you_ then!"

"NO! Don't touch me!" I complain, trying to back up from him and failing since his grip on my hand is like iron With an ease that only serves to irritate and embarrass me, Kokichi hooks and arm under my knees and lifts me up despite his size and stature. As soon as he has me half-way up though, I struggle and knock him back so we fall in a heap together, immediately shifting to pin him to the ground before he can get up.

A victorious snarky grin forms across my face as I watch Kokichi wiggle to try and free himself. When he deems it futile, he grins back at me and sighs.

"Nee-hee-hee! I guess you got me, Prairie Dog," he snickers, eyeing me carefully.

"Yep. Nice try, but I don't like being man-handled," I state plainly with a proud grin, faltering when Kokichi immediately adds, "Unless Rantaro is the one man-handling you."

My cheeks tint red and I stutter, barely grabbing the reins of my embarrassment at the unexpected accusation. Then again, coming from Kokichi, it's really no surprise. Unexpected is his brand.

"T-That's not true! I don't like it when he does it either! Rantaro is just a controlling pain in my neck- just what do you think you're suggesting anyways?!" I argue, miffed to the point of frustration.

"Oh, same as what I suggested the other day after you made your deal to be a good girl to Rantaro." Kokichi grins wider, the smile almost uncanny at this point. "You like-like Rantaro."

"I _don't!_ I don't like him at all!" I push, earning a meaningful look of doubt from Kokichi. My cheeks get redder. "Q-Quit staring at me like that, I don't like him like _that!"_

"Liar," he easily points out, poking my back with his knee as he props up his legs and crosses them comfortably. When I turn to swat his knee away, he laughs.

"I-I'm not! ...look, he's a controlling jerk! He treats me like his kid sister and he has no respect for my wishes whatsoever! All he has going for him is his face. I-I'm allowed to admire people with good looks, but that has nothing to do with _liking_ him! I don't like him!" I elaborate, even though it's obvious I'm unraveling fast. He snickers, making my hands tighten on the front of his coat as I resist the temptation to smack his head into the ground.

"He's not the only one you like, Prairie Dog~" Kokichi adds playfully, pointing to himself despite me throwing him a threatening glare to not even _think_ about going there. "You like _me_ too!"

"I _definitely_ don't like you. Actually? I specifically hate you. If we die today, I want you to know the only passion burning in my heart for you is _hatred,"_ I stress, only to squeak a little when Kokichi pouts and runs his hands over mine, untangling my fingers from his coat. There's definitely something uncomfortable about how he holds my hands and runs his thumbs over my knuckles, but he speaks before I can address it.

"You tell Rantaro you hate him all the time, but that's a lie too. You see? We're the same, Prairie Dog. We both just _love_ to lie," he states, smirking to the point that I feel my jitters drain away into discomfort at the shift in the topic.

"I don't _love_ to lie. I don't even like it- we aren't anything alike," I snap, moving to try and pull my hands back. He tightens his grip on them, clearly amused.

"Why do you do it so often then? You lie like a person with the flu uses tissues!" Kokichi accuses, snickering when I shrink back a little. "Speaking of lies, if you really don't like me, do you mind getting off?"

 _Getting...off? Of what?_

"This is just going to fast for me! I prefer things nice and slow before I'm mounted by anyone, you feel me? Furthermore... _I'd rather make out with a fish,"_ Kokichi states in a snap, his tone and entire demeanor shifting to an irritated one as I slowly absorb that I'm completely straddling Kokichi to keep him pinned down.

I blink and suddenly find the fake sky and the cage bars of the school enclosure in my immediate line of sight. I can hear someone laughing like mad in the background, but I can't tell who it is until I'm able to lift my head just slightly to see...Kokichi. He's still on the ground, rolling around with tears in his eyes as I slowly recall what's set him off and struggle to wobble upright on all fours.

Not that I don't prefer a happy Kokichi over an annoyed one, but not at the expense of my own dignity.

"I was _not_ expecting you to pass out! Holy shit, Prairie Dog, that was gold!"

"Shut up and stop talking to me. Go talk to a _fish,"_ I growl groggily, admittedly somewhat hurt by what he said. I wouldn't want my mouth anywhere near the stupid cancerous rat anyways, but it kinda stings to hear I'm beneath a fish. I wouldn't be that bad to kiss, would I?

 _Or...based on my past, am I a known bad kisser despite my fame?!_

"Aw, did you take that as my honest word? It was a lie, Prairie Dog! We can make out right _now_ if you want!"

"THAT'S THE LIE!" I snap, smacking the side of his head briskly when he gets too close for my liking. I stand up quickly on wobbly legs and eventually start walking, leaving it up to Kokichi on whether to follow me or not. "Either go back and cower in your stupid room, or keep up."

"Nishishi~! You'd rather make out with Rantaro, huh?"

 _"Kokichi Oma_. You're five seconds away from becoming the corpse that'll save us all from Monokuma and his army of copycats," I carefully state. As per usual, Kokichi dismisses my threat and instead links his arm with mine as we walk into the school.

"Oh, you used my full name! Am I in trouble? Huh? Huh? Hey, Prairie Dog, am I in trouble? Don't ground me pleassseee, I'll be a good boy," Kokichi begs innocently.

"I wanna punch you in the face so bad, you have no idea," I mutter, just as we enter the dining hall together...and stop dead in our tracks by what greets us. My stomach hits the ground when I see Rantaro in the middle of the room by Tenko, Himiko, Kaito, and Ryoma who are all seated at the dining hall and staring at him like he's grown a second head. I can see this funny expression of disgust and contempt on Tenko's face from afar, but I'm much too busy staring at Rantaro with everyone else.

"... _PFFFT!_ What happened to you?! Had a little too much fun with Miu in her lab last night, Runturd-o?" Kokichi laughs, making me stiffen up just slightly and smack Kokichi's arm to shut him up when Rantaro turns our way.

There's coral red lip prints all over his face and neck- so many that I have to bite down hard on my tongue to keep from going red with shame since every one was essentially a kiss _I_ left behind. On his forehead he was a word half hidden by his bangs, easy to see despite it completely contrasting the lipstick kiss marks all over his face reading _"LAME"_ in capital letters.

"No. Have either of you two seen Miu?" He asks, pinching the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration.

"Ah, I get why you'd be upset by Miu giving you all...that...but we should really talk about our game plan. Today is our last day and it won't even be a full one," Kaito speaks up from the dining table.

"There's only a few of us here right now, we should probably wait a bit more so we won't need to repeat anything," Tenko speaks up, looking over at Himiko and casting her a bright smile. "Right, Himiko?"

"Nyeh...I don't care," the red haired girl answers, even though she does shiver at the thought.

 _Huh, it doesn't seem like he realizes that what's on his face is my work. I'll take this as a blessing he thinks it's Miu's fault for now, but I'm sure this will blow up in my face later._

"Good morning, everyone! It's good to see so many of you awake so early! Usually it's only Ryoma and Kirumi I see rising so early," Kiibo says upon entering, causing my stomach to churn nervously as he walks past us and Rantaro to get to the table.

 _Oh no, yesterday, Kiibo saw when I…!_

The Ultimate Robot turns around once he's beside Kaito, his smile dropping when he sees Rantaro. He stares for a few seconds before he lets out a gasp of horror and slaps a hand over his chest as if there's a heart there. "...R-Rantaro?! What in the world- your _face!"_

"Yeah. I had the pleasure of waking up like this just now after I fell asleep in Miu's lab while keeping her and Prairie company," Rantaro sighs, causing Kiibo to blink and glance my way curiously. "Clearly Miu can't keep her hands to herself."

... _Please tell me he doesn't remember. Please don't remember. I know you're a robot, but all I'm asking for is one bug in your system-_

Kiibo's blue eyes narrow on me after a moment as he seems to register that I'm just barely keeping myself composed, prompting me to attempt unlinking my arm from Kokichi's. The violet menace gives me a curious look too, eyes jumping from Kiibo and Rantaro to me before it seems to click in his mind. With a smirk, he surprisingly takes a step back and releases my arm to allow me room to escape if necessary.

Likewise, I notice most of the people at the dining table look my way as if they're slowly getting the picture. Rantaro, with his back to Kokichi and I, straightens up his spine a little. I can tell he's realized something just by the look on Kiibo's face and all the eyes traveling towards me by the entrance.

"Rantaro...when I was stepping out of my room last night, I ran into Prairie on my way out," Kiibo says, looking directly at me as I carefully start to back out of the dining hall. No one says anything about my slow retreat, watching me with varying expressions of sympathy, amusement, and horror. "Prairie had a very nice shade of lipstick on. In fact, it was similar to the shade you have on your face."

…

…

…

"Prairie, you put your sweet innocent lips on the face of this _sleazy degenerate male?!"_ Tenko squeals in horror, breaking the tension enough for me to spin around and make a run for it.

"Oh, no you don't," I hear Rantaro as I scurry out into the hall, the sound of his footsteps following after me as I make a run for the warehouse. I'm not even thinking where to go- Rantaro has much longer legs than me and he's never done more than scold me. I don't even want to think about what he'll do to me for this.

I pause by some of the shelves, but only for a split second before I'm running around the shelves again. Climbing would be a stupid thing to do right now- he'd catch me for sure.

"Come on, Prairie. We're just going to have a talk," Rantaro says with an unnaturally calm tone- as if he's trying his best to be patient with me.

"We can talk without you closing the distance!" I complain in a half-panicked state as I walk backwards until he stops. Once he stops trying to advance, I halt my own retreat and bear witness to his disastrous face...how does he still manage to look handsome in such a ridiculous state, I don't know. It's unfair.

... _I think I went overboard with the kiss marks._

"Prairie. This is by far the most _childish_ thing you've done yet. Mind letting me in on why you went and decided to act on this 'bright' idea of yours?" Rantaro demands, appearing unsympathetic when I wince with a guiltily grimace.

There's just lip marks all over his face. What was I thinking going with Miu's suggestion?! _I'm_ the one embarrassed here! It would probably be bad to even _mention_ Miu to be partly to blame. First, I don't want to get her in trouble, and second- I'm the one that went along with it in the end. I didn't fight Miu on it at all. It's completely my fault…but I don't mind too much. As far as I'm concerned, he didat least deserve the _"LAME"_ written on his forehead.

"Were those bangs of yours in the way when you looked in the mirror?" I simply ask, watching the scowl on his face deepen as a result.

"Alright, fine. We'll do this your way. Why exactly am I lame? Tell me. Tell me _everything."_

 _Everything? I have a laundry list of reasons why he's lame! I'd be glad to list it all out for him! I'm not softening the blow this time!_

"Everything about you pisses me off. It's like you're totally disconnected from everything around you! When we have these conversations, I feel like I'm talking to a literal freaking wall. I don't know what you have in that thick skull of yours, but it's _not_ a brain!" I state, watching Rantaro relax despite my words.

 _He doesn't care...of course. It goes through one ear and out the other._

"You know, you _shouldn't_ care about me or what I do- at least not for the reasons that you claim. We don't even know each other. I don't even know what your favorite color is!"

"It's blue," he answers before I can continue. Hearing him drop that, as if it'll help the root of my problem with him, prompts my eye to twitch sporadically when rage wells up inside me.

 _"Are you making fun of me?"_ I demand, watching Rantaro hold up his hands in defense, ready to say something to fix his error. "I don't _care_ about your favorite color, Amami! I'm trying to make a point! Buzz off and worry about someone else!"

"So the problem is that I'm annoying and you hardly know me. I would think knowing my favorite color would help us move in the right direction," Rantaro explains casually to my frustration. He doesn't get it.

"Uh, _no._ It won't. Your idea of worrying about me is lying, making _me_ lie for you, locking me in rooms, and invalidating every attempt I make to get out of here!" I object heatedly, stamping a foot and nearly grabbing the nearest item next to me when I see his mouth twitch a little as if he's resisting a smile for a moment. He sobers up pretty quickly though when I snarl a bit his way, the taller teen frowning as his eyes meet mine.

"Well, Prairie, that's because your idea is committing suicide to reach that goal. Even when you're _not_ actively trying to get us out, you try and step on Monokuma's toes passively when it isn't necessary. You're reckless, and regardless of me and my own shortcomings-"

 _Good, he knows he's not Mr. Perfect._

"-you only seem to be thinking about yourself. What about the rest of us who aren't eager to be punished by Monokuma for _your_ actions?"

"It's not like anyone else is trying to leave. As far as I can tell, you guys love it here," I snap, even though I feel a bit bad saying it. Maybe I'm going too far this time, but I can't stop now. They _need_ to hear it.

"We-"

"If you're not going to risk your life to get out of a situation that will _take it_ from you, then the rest of you are perfect for Monokuma's killing game. I won't die with you in this prison," I finish, allowing silence to invade the space of the warehouse. It isn't until then that I realize I'm extremely tense and breathing hard, causing me to relax a bit as I stare at Rantaro and wait for a response.

 _Dealing with him is like riding a carousel. We're just going around and around- but getting absolutely nowhere with these arguments._

"...Can you at least help me wash off my face?" Rantaro asks next, sparking my irritation. I don't even know what to do now. I've already yelled at him as much as I could, but he won't leave me alone.

"Typical. You ask me what's wrong, I tell you, and you brush it off by being cute," I quip, crossing my arms and turning away to glare at something else.

Silence.

More silence.

Confused, I look back up to see Rantaro staring at me in mild surprise. My brow furrows and I cock my head slightly to the side. What did I do? Why is he looking at me like that? All I said was…

…

"I-I didn't mean it like that! You're not cute! You look _pathetic!"_ I snap again, embarrassment coating my features before I turn in a desperate attempt to escape and realize my folly when I get one leg up before his arms grab hold of my waist and wrangle me off of the shelf I'm trying to climb. I hear him sigh in relief, making me curl up before he's swinging me up in his arms properly with a grin when I fluff my hair over my red face.

"Alright, well come help me clean off my pathetic face then since this is your fault," he states, making me grumble and call him a few choice names under my breath as he exits the warehouse with me. "...? Were you guys listening the entire time?"

"Sorry, we were just-" Kaito starts, before Tenko cuts him off to shout, "We were making sure nothing would happen to her being alone with a degenerate like you. And since thankfully nothing's happened, you can put her down now and leave her with me."

"...Tenko, if you'd been the one in there, we would all be out here for you as well," Ryoma comments casually.

"Um, Is she okay?" Kiibo speaks up next, right before I feel a small poke on my arm.

"Hahaha! Prairie Dog's embarrassed because she admitted she thinks Rantaro is cute!"

 _Stupid rat faced prick._

"Don't make fun of her. She's allowed to like whoever she wants, she's a superstar," I hear Himiko defend, joined by Tenko when she jumps in to add, "Y-Yeah! Even if it does happen to be a degenerate male she's interested in!"

Tenko whimpers after a second upon admitting that.

"She's gonna help me clean this up, so we'll see you guys later," Rantaro says to the group, only moving a couple of feet away before I hear the sound of an annoying rat laugh.

"I'm coming with you! I'm hanging out with Prairie Dog, so I'm not going anywhere she isn't! Besides, you could still _murder_ her, and I gotta make sure the superstar stays alive!" Kokichi says, following us as Rantaro leads us to the bathrooms and stops outside with a bit of a scowl. Clearly he doesn't know which one to enter since I'm a girl, and he sets me down on my feet to keep a firm grip on my hand even when I try to yank away from him moodily.

"Let's just go in the boys bathroom. Prairie Dog seems to like it better anyways, considering she's stumbled out from there one time!" Kokichi laughs, making me throw him a sharp glare and once again resist the urge to kick him.

"Fine, we'll do that," Rantaro sighs, pushing open the door and dragging me in. As soon as Kokichi is inside with us, Rantaro releases my hand and makes a beeline for the supply closet, digging around while Kokichi leans back against the bathroom door with a sly grin. He's totally blocking the way so I can't make an attempt to run out while Rantaro's going through the supply closet. I wish he had just stayed in his stupid room. He'd be safer and less annoying for me in there. "Alright, there's two clean washcloths and I found dishwasher soap."

I make a face as I turn to watch him step out of the supply closet and shut the door with his hip, the guy reading the back of a pink bottle of the cleaning liquid. Sure, it's stronger than regular body scrub like we get for our showers and more likely to take off the permanent marker, but still. "You're gonna put _dishwasher_ soap on your face?"

Rantaro shuts his eyes for a moment and then looks up at me dryly.

"Yes, Prairie. I'm going to put dishwasher soap on my face. Because I need to clean off this mess that you decided to leave me," Rantaro explains frankly, pointing at all the kiss marks and the permanent marker on his face until I look down and shove all my curls over my own face. "Come on, you can't help me from all the way over there."

I make a noise of annoyance but walk towards him, taking one of the washcloths and turning on a sink with a frown.

"You can keep making that face, but don't forget you put yourself in this situation," Rantaro points out, removing his shirt and…

... _WAIT, WHY?!_

"Nee-hee-hee! Prairie Dog, you're turning into a tomato!" Kokichi laughs, only for Rantaro to quickly comment, "Kokichi, if you're just going to make fun of something she can't control, you can leave. I just don't want my shirt getting wet."

I relax substantially at Rantaro's words, peeking up at him through my hair and receiving a smile in response as he moves his shirt out of the way to reveal he's wearing a tank top under it to my immense relief. He then gets down on his knees where I can reach him better, handing me the soap bottle to get to work.

Eventually after some work scrubbing with our soapy washcloths to get most of the permanent marker off of his forehead, we're left with the two washcloths covered in permanent marker residue. There's just a shadow of the word left, and it's hard to see it unless you really squint.

"Hm, we're gonna need another cloth. Mind checking the girls bathroom for another in the supply closet?" Rantaro asks as he stands up from being on his knees to rinse off his face again.

"U-Um, okay. I'll be back then," I answer, mildly surprised he's going to let me leave despite how reluctant he knew I was to be dragged in here.

 _Technically I can just make a run for it and ditch him if I wanted to..._

"Wherever you go, I go too, Prairie Dog~!" Kokichi chirps as he opens the door for me, following me out and tossing Rantaro a big grin.

 _Dang it. Guess not._

I throw Kokichi a look after the door to the boys bathroom closes behind him, making the teen smile wider as soon as we're alone. He waggles his eyebrows a little, eyes flicking towards the door to the boys bathroom with an insinuating look.

"You're literally the worst," I comment with a snippy tone, still pretty miffed at the fact that he made attempts to embarrass me in front of Rantaro so many times. "Do you ever get tired of being such a jerk?"

"Aww, I'm not a jerk! Besides...Rantaro doesn't seem to mind that you like him so much. In fact, you should be thanking me for making you look good for free! I could have charged you for the work I've done!" Kokichi points out, grinning sneakily at the absolutely unenthusiastic expression I sport as I stare at him.

"Making me 'look good'? I don't care if I look good to him, I feel _bad!"_ I snap, spinning around and stomping over to the girls bathroom a few feet away. "If you wanna play matchmaker, go get yourself dolls. Just butt out of my business!"

Kokichi laughs, not at all offended by my aggression. Before he can say anything however-

"Less arguing, more getting clean washcloths, you two," I hear Rantaro call from inside the boys bathroom with obvious vexation, making me shoot a sharp glare at the other door as Kokichi snickers and reaches out to take my hand.

"Sorry, Prairie Dog. You're a great toy to play around with~" Kokichi comments lowly, shooting me a mischievous grin that makes me reach out with my free hand to try and swat at him in frustration at that. I'm not a toy, I'm a _person!_

"Sometime, I'm going to kick your butt so hard you're still gonna feel it when you're wrinkly and old," I hiss quietly, trying to wrangle my hand out of his. "And stop holding my hand, I hate the feeling of your skinny bone fingers."

"Oh? But you seemed to like it earlier," he purrs quietly to my horror, suddenly catching my other hand and rubbing my gloved knuckles with his thumbs. My face catches fire and I snatch my hands back, grabbing the girls bathroom door with a snarl etched on my features as I stare him down. He just chuckles to himself at my look.

"You're gonna regret always teasing me and taking advantage of my problem with boys. Just you wait, Oma. You're gonna wake up one day and think, _'Ah, crap, I shouldn't have messed with Prairie Dog! I regret this completely!'"_ I tell him, his grin only getting bigger at my response.

"Sure, Prairie Dog. I'll let you believe that," Kokichi snickers before tapping gently on the bathroom door with a finger. "We going in then? We can make out in there if you'd like-"

I swat him one last time and promptly open the door as he snickers like mad.

 ** _KRK!_**

…

Both Kokichi and I stop dead in our tracks. For a second, all we can do is stare quietly- not at each other or the bathroom itself, but who's standing in the middle of the girls bathroom with their back facing us.

My eyes trail down their legs and I feel myself tense up as soon as I properly process what I'm looking at.

It's Kaede. She's fallen on the ground.

The person standing over Kaede turns, smiling just slightly when they see Kokichi and I at the doorway.

"Y-You don't have to worry about her anymore, Prairie! I've made sure she won't try to kill you again," Miu states almost hesitantly, her blazing blue eyes meeting mine before as I look back down at the other blonde lying at her feet. Kaede's moving a little...

And then I realize there's a scary amount blood starting to seep from the mess of blonde hair covering her face, creating a shocking pool of dark red underneath her frail form where she's collapsed.

"Miu, _what_ _did you do?"_ I can't help but blurt out in horror, feeling the color drain from my face as I race into the bathroom and crouch down by Kaede, the fabric of my suit already absorbing the uncomfortably warm liquid. "Kaede? Kaede!"

I pull her on my lap a little, feeling her tremble violently when I jostle her more than she can handle. The blood is coming from her head so-

I brush her hair aside a little and immediately regret it, feeling my heart nearly leap out of my chest when I catch a glimpse of just how bad of a state she's in and quickly cover her face with her reddening hair again. My stomach churns and my throat gets tight near the back as I try to keep myself from getting sick by taking a deep breath, resorting to rubbing her shoulder when I realize there's nothing I can do.

Kaede's won't be with us for much longer.

There's no telling what she's going through. I can't even begin to imagine it. She's shaking a lot and I can feel her hands weakly gripping my suit.

"It's going to be okay," I eventually lie to her, finding her hand and taking it in mine carefully. Her grip is feeble and her hands are clammy. "Don't worry, I'm right here."

I hear the sound of someone else running into the room and relax when I find Rantaro kneel down by me to see Kaede in my lap. I look away when he moves her hair out of her face, only glancing at Kaede again when I see him move her hair back in place and grimace out of the corner of my eye.

"S-She wanted to kill you though! I saw it! I was outside her lab when it happened! Prairie, you feel bad for someone like _that?_ She wanted you dead!"Miu cries out in bemusement.

She attacked Kaede because of me?

 ** _"...get out."_**

I'm not sure if Miu does since I'm busy paying attention to Kaede and Kaede only, the pain in the back of my throat getting worse as the seconds of silence tick by. I can hear her making little bubbles from all the blood, struggling to bring air into the lungs that are blocked by broken tissue, bone, and the red fluid that should have kept her alive.

Now we're just waiting. A sickening sensation settles in my gut at that, dreading the moment she stops squeezing my hand. What will happen after?

"I'm sorry," I murmur after a second, squeezing her fingers in hopes that she can still hear me. "I'm so sorry."

I feel a hand rub my backside, but I can't tell who's doing that.

Kaede's fingers twitch…

And then she goes still.

…

…

 ** _Ding dong, dong ding!_**

The monitor system in the girls bathroom switches on.

 _"A **body** has been discovered! Everyone, please gather in the first floors girls bathroom!"_

 ** _End of 2.16 - For Perfect Blitz_**


	29. Interlude i - Shuichi

_**Interlude. i - Shuichi**_

When the doorbell rings a few minutes short of twelve thirty AM, Shuichi is understandably concerned. He swings off of his bed where he'd been originally seated, going over tomorrow's plan one last time before turning out the lights. As he approaches his door, he feels a nervous twitch in his chest as he wonders who would be on the other side.

Nevertheless, Shuichi opens the door and relaxes when he sees Kaede's back, only to soon tense up again when she turns and smiles at him.

"Hi, Shuichi. Um, sorry to bother you so late. I was wondering if we could talk before tomorrow rolls over. There's something important I need to tell you," Kaede is first to speak, prompting Shuichi to step aside with an uncertain smile.

Shuichi knew something was wrong even before she opened her mouth, but as she speaks his curiosity grows more. She had to tell him something so important that it couldn't wait till tomorrow morning? It had to be something pretty serious, but Shuichi doesn't immediately press her for details. Instead, he closes the door behind her and the two of them take a seat side-by-side on his bed.

Kaede doesn't say anything for a minute or so, going silent as she stares down at her hands in her lap.

…

"Kaede, what is…" Shuichi eventually asks, finally getting the blonde to lift her head...and feeling his stomach plummet when he notices tears in her eyes. "K-Kaede?"

"Shuichi, I messed up," she trails off, eyes drifting aside like she's trying to distance herself from something. Whatever that might be, Shuichi won't know until she tells him.

Messed up? For a moment, Shuichi can only wonder what she means by that, unsure of how to make Kaede feel better. Should he hug her? No, that would probably be inappropriate. Maybe just holding her hand so she knows she has his support no matter wha-

"I tried to kill Prairie."

As the words leave her lips, a noticeable tension fills the air- one that snatches away Shuichi's bravery along with his words of encouragement.

"She's weird. She came to my door with Rantaro saying she forgave me...who does that?" Kaede rhetorically with a smile, managing an awkward laugh despite her tears now falling down her face. The droplets fall on her skirt, leaving little spots on it. "I don't even know what I was thinking. She found the shot-put ball I put in my backpack and confronted me about it, and then…"

Kaede leans forward and presses her hands against her face hopelessly with a sigh, wiping away her tears and clearing her nose and throat using a tissue from his night table. Who knew Kiibo's bland gift from yesterday would come in handy?

But...she had a shot-put ball? In her backpack? If she didn't know what she was doing, what was she doing with it in her possession?

"Kaede, what was the shot-put ball for? The one you had?" Shuichi hesitantly inquires, watching as Kaede looks up once her tears are wiped a bit.

"I...I didn't really know who, but... I meant to use it on the mastermind," Kaede confesses, ducking her head a little sadly.

Shuichi grimaces, throat dry.

"But...then you tried to kill Prairie thinking she was the mastermind without definitive proof," Shuichi confirms, making Kaede eventually nod hesitantly. Just going by her behavior right now. Going by her behavior right now, Shuichi can already tell Kaede didn't truly want to attack Prairie.

…

But…

"We can work past this. You didn't manage to hurt Prairie and by what you've said, she likely won't tell anyone other than Rantaro," Shuichi speaks up, only for Kaede to blink and tear up more. Startled, Shuichi starts to stammer, "It's okay, you- you don't need to cry! Don't be scared, we-"

"It's not _that,"_ Kaede blurts out, voice shaking. "A-Aren't you mad? I used your unfinished suspicions and jumped the gun going after Prairie. I didn't trust your plan for the library that you worked hard to make. I almost _murdered_ someone, Shuichi."

Shuichi grimaces but then reaches out and finally takes Kaede's hand in his with a reassuring smile once she looks at him again. Kaede seems to relax a bit at this, simply at ease by the kind gesture.

"But nothing happened in the end. Prairie forgave you. It might seem like a crazy thing to do in your eyes, but I think I'm on Prairie's side with this. I mean, look. You came and told me about it too. Attempted murder is a serious slip-up, ah, maybe _more_ than a slip-up…we're all under pressure here, it's only expected that some of us might snap a little given the circumstances."

The Ultimate Detective pauses to momentarily recollect his thoughts, giving Kaede time to wipe more of her tears away. She's genuinely guilty for her actions- no way is that just acting. She could have let everything be swept under the rug by Prairie's kindness, but she went out of her way to confide in Shuichi even though no murder actually occurred (thank goodness).

"I'll admit now that I do wish you would have waited till we had solid proof, just so I could have...I don't know...talk you out of such a brash choice of action. Murder is definitely not the answer, not even for the mastermind, but I think you know that now, right?" Shuichi manages a sympathetic smile when Kaede chuckles weakly, using the end of her sleeve to stop new tears from forming.

"You've got that right…" Kaede answers, blowing out a breath of relief. "You know, I actually came here fully expecting you to be angry with me- kind of like when Miu tried bad mouthing you about your hat. Both you and Prairie are crazy…"

She pauses and looks at Shuichi closely, laughing softly after noticing something.

"By the way, I like your hat and everything, but you look a lot more confident without it if you ask me. Hehe, you're even like me," Kaede jokes, making a little booping noise as she flicks a finger against the ahoge at the top of Shuichi's head. Shuichi blushes as the hair flicks back to its original position, having totally forgotten he'd taken off his hat and hadn't grabbed it when Kaede came in. He was so tired he hadn't noticed…! "You really do look like the Ultimate Detective."

Shuichi, still somewhat red in the cheeks, gives Kaede a hopeful smile.

"Thanks. Anyways...we'll move past this, okay? Don't worry about a thing. If you need to talk, my doorbell is always free for you to ring," Shuichi concludes, watching the blonde stand now that she's made her confession. She looks uncomfortable for a second as she flexes her hands and fingers at her sides, turning to look back at where Shuichi sits.

"Um...if...if you don't want me to help with catching the mastermind tomorrow, I'd understand," she speaks up again, seeming to get even more nervous as she adds, "And by catch, I mean nothing violent of course, just apprehending them."

Shuichi tilts his head to the side, casting her a gentle look.

"If you're still willing, I'd appreciate the help. After all, I _am_ only an apprentice detective and there's only one of me, so having a second opinion and a second pair of hands would help a lot in this situation. I still believe in you, Kaede. We'll all get out of here together, and maybe after, you'll get even closer to Prairie. I know exactly what she sees in you. It's hope," Shuichi explains, watching as Kaede takes another breath to stabilize herself.

"If you two believe in me that much, then...We'll _definitely_ all get out of here together! I swear it," Kaede exclaims, the bright light inside her flaring to life once again- just the way Shuichi is used to. It definitely brightens his night as she heads for the door, giving the Ultimate Detective a renewed smile of confidence. "I won't let either of you down this time!"

Shuichi believes her.

* * *

So then, why?

 _Why is Kaede dead in the girls bathroom?_

Shuichi is pale as he passes the others that have gathered around the corpse on the ground, the group more or less maintaining a reasonable distance despite their clear morbid curiosity and discomfort. There's no light and no dignity in Kaede's state now, and peeking under her hair only serves to show she's died with no sympathy either.

There's angry voices all around him, accusations being thrown around to the point that Shuichi looks up as he tries to take his focus off of Kaede's face...or lack thereof.

His eyes drag over everyone until they land on the girl that's leaned back in Rantaro Amami's arms. She has a dead stare glued to Kaede's body and an obscene amount of blood covering her body from when she was cradling Kaede in her last moments.

Shuichi hardly needs to go up to her to know that she didn't want this to happen to Kaede either. Instead, he turns his attention to the other girl further in the bathroom, blood sprayed across her outfit and speckling her face as her anxious eyes flick around the group basically barricading her from leaving the bathroom.

"It was Miu!"

"Why Kaede though? Why'd it have to be her…?"

"Miu, it's time you explain yourself. What exactly drove you to take an action such as this? Is this the kind of person you truly are?"

"The fuck were you thinking?! We were going to get out of here together- _all of us!_ Why would you kill-?!"

"She tried to kill Prairie! I _already told you!"_ Miu shouts, tears collecting in her eyes as she shrinks back from everyone. Now confronted by an angry mob and visibly outnumbered, her pride and her roar is torn down like tissue, but she clings to that motive despite everything.

"Atua tells me...that Miu is hiding behind this excuse because she needed a good enough reason to kill her way out!" Angie pipes up, the smile on her face as plastic as the one Kokichi wears at her side.

"Yeah, yeah! What Atua said! Miu's going straight down to HELL for this one! That's what Atua tells _me!"_ Kokichi jumps in, causing Angie's smile to go stiff as she turns her head to look at him. Kokichi returns the smile, fake but composed.

"...You can be Atua's next virginal sacrifice," Angie giggles after a second, unbothered when Kokichi grins and answers, "Okaaay~! I'm excited! I've always wanted to swan dive into a volcano! Besides that, this will be an easy trial though. Figures a dumb whore like Miu wouldn't be able to make such a clever murder mystery."

"Nyeh...we just need to vote her as the blackened and that's it, right? I'm tired and I wanna go back to my room already…" Himiko mumbles, eyes completely focused on the ground by her feet to avoid looking and Kaede's body.

Ryoma sighs, chewing on the stick between his lips a little more before removing it from his mouth to comment dryly, "Nope."

"That's probably how it would have been, but…" Rantaro speaks up as well, hugging Prairie a bit tighter. "The _motive."_

" _Righty-o!"_

To no one's surprise but everyone's frustration, Monokuma bounds in with all the monokubs, Monotaro and Monophanie appearing less than thrilled to be there from what Shuichi can see by the looks on their faces.

"D-D- _DEAD…!"_ Monophanie stammers wide eyed, letting out a fountain of blue fluids much like sparkling vomit when her eyes land on Kaede's corpse. "I-It's worse than I thought! It's not _Ugly_ like I prayed to Atua it would be!"

Monophanie swings to look at Angie, who gives no change in her expression.

"Your god _lies!"_ Monophanie cries, actual tears spilling from her eyes.

"Ahaha! Sounds like my type of god! Now I _really_ wanna be thrown in a volcano for him!" Kokichi laughs in delight, clearly uncaring of the situation or simply playing off his discomfort. Whatever it is, Shuichi can't tell for the life of him.

How can anyone actually laugh when Kaede is dead though?

"Congratulations to the Ultimate Inventor, Miu Iruma! You've started the killing game and did the smart thing by taking advantage of the _First Blood Perk!_ You can now leave the premises and rejoin society as a _woman!"_ Monokuma cheers happily, elated as Monosuke blows a party popper behind him.

"I-I-" Miu stammers, clearly unsure of how to deal with what they're saying.

The more opinionated individuals in the group speak out, first starting with the ever silent Maki Harukawa.

"What? She really gets to leave just like that? No catch?" She asks bluntly, red eyes narrowed on Monokuma. Had it been anyone else, she'd probably have them cowering back, but Monokuma just hums and pats his belly with a grin.

"Absolutely! Because of the First Blood Perk!"

"You were _serious_ about that? You're really going to reward Miu for what she did?! She _murdered someone!"_ Kaito shouts, taking a step forward that prompts Kiibo and Gonta to grab onto him- likely to avoid another incident where his aggression to Monokuma will likely get him killed.

"I know! Isn't it great? Kaede Akamatsu is dead! Hm...had she succeeded in killing Miss Marble, I'd have probably been happier, but this will do too. I'll take what I can get for now! I'm sure she'll die eventually!" Monokuma brushes the query off, his two biggest supporters Monophanie and Monosuke behind him cheering at his words.

"That'll definitely be the best death _for sure!_ Right, Monophanie? I hope someone slits open her stomach!" Monosuke laughs, his sister giggling right at his side.

Not unusual at least for Monodam, Shuichi can't help but look towards the blue and red bears, both of which look very uncomfortable where they're standing together.

"Monosuke! Monophanie! The Exisals should be repaired by now, you can get in gear with Monodam and escort our lucky winner here out of the killing game!" Monokuma orders, prompting the three bears in question to bound out of the bathroom past the legs of the students. "Congratulations once again, Miss Iruma! We will send a souvenir of your achievement to your home address in two business days! Normally we'll send eyes as a trophy, but...you kinda ruined them. Her fingers will have to do, I guess! They're the only pretty things left of her after all!"

"I don't…" Miu stammers, only to jump as the departed kubs reappear in their Exisals, Monodam picking Miu up and making her squeak in terror. They don't even wait one more second, zooming out with the Ultimate Inventor and leaving the rest of the group and Shuichi to stay with the burden of Miu's actions.

Shuichi can hardly believe all of this is really happening. Right when he was sure they'd get out of here…

Why was Kaede here? How did Miu manage to get her alone?

His observant eyes scan the bathroom floor, crouching on his toes until he spots what appears to be the cameras and motion sensor he'd requested Miy to make before. The tech has absorbed too much of Kaede's blood to be of any use now...not to mention one of the cameras are cracked and they hardly appear tinkered for the purpose he'd asked. Like Miu had been working on them and then stopped to configure them differently.

Shuichi reaches out for the broken tech and lets out a gasp of surprise, only darting his hand back a second or two after a shockwave runs up his hand when his thumb touches a metal part of the camera. Specifically the metal shutter button.

Something becomes a little clearer now. Miu, knowing this was meant to be hush-hush, brought Kaede here to give her the equipment and somehow tricked Kaede to press the shutter. The electrical device Miu reconfigured in the cameras made Kaede freeze for a moment and Miu struck at that point...right as Kokichi and Prairie happened to enter the bathroom, from what he heard.

His eyes trail to something a few feet around Kaede on her other side. It's a shot-put ball like the one Kaede said she attempted to use on Prairie...is it the same one? Or did Kaede put hers back and this is a different one?

Shuichi rolls the ball around towards him, avoiding getting anymore blood on the evidence as he tries to piece together the scene of the crime. He wouldn't be able to sleep not knowing. Why did Kaede die in here?

…

It's a regular shot-put ball, one covered with the liquid life of Kaede. Nothing more, nothing less. He can't tell if it's Kaede's, as he never saw the one she was in possession of.

What Shuichi can make out, it seems Kaede came in advance to get the camera and equipment from Miu herself in preparation for their plan. She was probably so reinvigorated by both Prairie and his own statements of forgiveness for her actions...and paid the price as Miu said she'd witnessed the ordeal as well. Miu clearly wasn't as forgiving as Shuichi or Prairie.

Miu killed Kaede to protect Prairie, but there has to be some truth in the comment Angie proposed. She was looking for justification to commit murder. At that thought, Shuichi can't help but wonder if Miu would have killed _him_ had he gone to get the cameras. They wouldn't have had to enter the secluded bathroom since he's a boy…

Maybe he should have suggested Kaede _not_ to help him. She wouldn't have been near Miu if that were the case...right?

Shuichi stands up. He doesn't want to look any further. There's nothing else he needs to know. Miu lured Kaede in with the promise of their finished cameras and then killed her.

"One last thing I need to do and you can go about your day thanking Miss Iruma in prayer for saving everyone from _almost-_ inevitable demise!" Monokuma announces, cheer in his voice as Shuichi turns and looks at him. Just as he does, however, Monokuma turns and faces Monotaro to everyone's surprise. In the time that Shuichi was studying how Kaede died, the other three kubs had returned and were talking about Miu's successful departure. "My beautiful, sweet, innocent kubby-wubby...you've been very bad, haven't you?"

Monotaro freezes up, the other kubs besides Monokid hopping back from him to flank Monokuma instead. When Monokid doesn't move, Monophanie has to jump back and drag him to their side despite his obvious reluctance. Shuichi, sensing something off, steps back from Kaede's body and steps over to Rantaro's and Prairie's side.

Prairie appears highly alert again, Shuichi noticing how Rantaro tightens his hold around the shorter girl when she tenses up.

Seems like Shuichi's speculation of Prairie being more than just "a little nice" with Monotaro was right on the mark...but _Rantaro_ seems to know about it. He wouldn't tighten his grip on her if he didn't think she would bolt to try and save Monotaro from whatever is about to happen to him.

"Wha-no! I haven't done anything," Monotaro answers, but he's visibly perspiring. What's going on? Was Prairie...in more contact with Monotaro than he initially thought?

"Sure you have. You've been sneaking off so much- did you really think I wouldn't notice? Did you think I didn't see you and _that idiot_ meeting in secret with Miss Marble?" Monokuma asks, jabbing a paw Monokid's way and making the blue bear flinch.

In secret...so wait...then! Monotaro has _betrayed_ Monokuma? Is that possible?

"What did you tell her? What does she know?" Monokuma inquires. He's really asking that in front of the whole group like this? Doesn't he care that Monotaro will potentially spill the same secrets he ordered Prairie to stay silent about?

Or is it that Monokuma knows that Monotaro is beyond bringing back to his side and knows he's far more loyal to Prairie at this point?

…

"Nothing," Monotaro denies again.

"Say that again and see where it gets you~!"

"I'm not telling you anything! I don't care! Prairie is nice to me, you don't even _care_ about us!" Monotaro suddenly explodes, lashing out despite how more or less docile he's been recently. "I remember things better around her! I _like_ her! I hope her and everyone here gets out and becomes friends just like Kaede said! The only thing I'll ever regret is not _stepping on you myself with the Exisal! I HATE YOU!"_

There's an actual explosion this time- a cloud of smoke rolling over everyone and causing a series of coughs and complaints until the bathroom door is thrown wide open to ventilate out all the smog. Once it clears…

"Oh dear...Miss Marble really corrupted him, didn't she?" Monokuma sighs sadly, giving a terrible show of mourning over his bear son by wiping a non-existent tear from the corner of his right eye and tossing a device with a red button on it up and down from his paw. "My poor, lost, baby kubby."

Did Monokuma...detonate a _bomb_ in Monotaro?!

"HOLY SHIT!" Both Monokid and Monosuke blurt out, eyes wide as they grab onto each other in horror while Monophanie violently vomits another pool of glitter blue liquid. Monodam is as stoic as ever, but even he seems discomfied by this discovery as the other bears are, leaning back a little as the flying bits of the machine once named "Monotaro" hits the floor here and there.

Although Shuichi is wary of the kubs and never actually liked any of the bears, he peeks a glance at Prairie to observe her reaction. He almost regrets it, but forces his gold eyes to study the sad look on her face as she stares at the charred ground where Monotaro once stood.

Shuichi, and the others too, only have to endure mourning Kaede.

Prairie has to deal with the demise of both Kaede _and_ Monotaro, and just because he didn't connect with the kub doesn't mean he lacks the empathy to understand at least on a surface level.

Whatever she's feeling inside however, Shuichi isn't privy to it. He won't know unless he asks her, on the condition she even gives him an answer at all. She has been upset with him ever since he skipped out on answering her questions, so the chances of him winning her trust soon are slim to none. Especially since it seems she's a bit harsher when it comes to the male gender- at least as far as he's seen.

Not that he'd ever say it to Prairie's face. He saw her slap Kokichi so hard he almost lost his balance once, and he'd rather not be on the receiving end of her wrath.

"Hey, so...that only happened because he was a _bad_ kubby. The rest of you, remember your place and everything should go smoothly, okie dokie? Don't let Miss Marble corrupt you too! Especially you, _Monokid._ We're gonna chit-chat later...if you don't wanna end up like red, sweaty, and stupid here, then you'd better listen to everything I say and answer everything I ask!"

"Y-Yes, Monoku- I mean, _Father!"_ Monokid corrects himself. Just as Monokuma exits the bathroom, so does Monokid. He's obviously in a hurry, likely due to his panic at being called out after Monotaro's untimely demise.

"...This bathroom will be closed until six PM, so if you have the need to pee, please share the boys bathroom for now!" Monophanie soon regains the skip in her step, Shuichi already feeling like all the life has been sucked out of him.

There was no trial for this murder and Miu got to leave the killing game scot-free. She's _out_ of the killing game- a survivor. But at what cost? She'll have to live with what she's done for the rest of her life. On the other hand though…

The killing game has started. If Shuichi feels like _this_ after a murder, how does anyone expect to get through a _class trial_ if another murder happens again? They'll have to debate, point fingers, find the truth and separate it from the lies.

" _I still believe in you, Kaede."_

Shuichi replays the words in his head from the night before as he lingers in the hallway, most of the other jarred students already having migrated out of there. Unsurprisingly, there's little to no conversation among them, and soon Shuichi is by himself in the hall, staring down at his blood stained fingers. He should probably wash them.

…

So with that, he makes his way into the boys bathroom, the door closing quietly behind him and leaving the hallway completely empty as a result.

 _ **End of Interlude. i - Shuichi**_


	30. 3:1 - Confide

_**3.1 - Confide**_

"Prairie, that's enough, you don't have to-"

Rantaro flinches and shuts up when I smack the sopping wet washcloth on his cheek to silence him, water splashing on the both of us as I clean up the rest of his kiss stained face. After I finish scrubbing his face free of lipstick, I let him get back up and rinse his own face off as I wait for him to finish.

Of course, we returned to his room to finish cleaning him up. Kokichi however, went back to his own room as well, but I couldn't care less about where he's gone, to be honest.

 _I can't believe that stupid jerk had the gall to laugh and crack jokes when Kaede died. Him_ _ **and** __Angie. Who does that? What's wrong with them? Don't they even care Kaede is gone?_

"Prairie, wait," Rantaro stops me when I turn to leave, making me sigh and look back at him. What for? I know it's morning still and we have the whole day ahead of us, but...I just want to go back to my room and hole up for a bit. Specifically, _alone._

"Rantaro, I'm soaked in blood from head to toe and Kaede just died in my arms. On top of that, she was killed in my name and her killer was released with zero consequence. It's been a long morning. If you're going to ask me to stay..." I trail off tiredly, only for Rantaro to continue with the simple request, "Come back here when you're cleaned up then? Please?"

I give him a dubious look. Why?

"I don't know about you, and I don't want to assume anything, but...I could use some company for a while after that," he explains, looking somewhat embarrassed despite this insistent glint in his soft green eyes.

I can see right through his claim though.

 _He's only saying that because he thinks_ _I_ _need the company, isn't he? Rantaro mentioned before that if it wasn't for him trusting me or liking me, he'd slink off to think alone. This lying green haired idiot…_

"If you're worried about me, can you just say it rather than make up dumb illogical excuses like-"

"I'm worried about you," he immediately switches tactics- so fast that I can't help but call him out on it with my own irritated quip of, "About-face. Rather than pay attention to the fact that I'm blatantly pointing him out to be a weirdo, Rantaro simply continues with what he wants to say.

"You in particular were heavily tied to what happened in the bathroom- with Kaede, Miu, and Monotaro. In my mind, that's a recipe for a reckless Prairie to cause some kind of uproar."

I wince a bit at that but say nothing. He's sorta right, I'll give him that. I'm frustrated and I wish I could dropkick Monokuma into the sun with an Exisal since this is all his fault. My friends were manipulated and he threw Monotaro away like he was garbage. Sure I feel exhausted _now,_ but maybe later- especially if I'm alone- I'll potentially fall into a spiral of negative thoughts.

That's not something I want right now.

"A-Alright then. I'm gonna clean up and I'll come back here when I'm done," I agree with a small sigh of resignation.

Rantaro looks absolutely elated by my agreement, relief coating his features as he grabs my hand and pulls me into a bear hug before pressing a kiss to the crown of my head.

...wait.

 _What._

Rantaro pulls away quickly at that, hands up and cheeks red with stunned shock from his own actions. A sheepish laugh escapes him and he suddenly looks uncomfortable under my gaze as I stare at him for a response to the fact that he's done something so out of character.

"Sorry, ah- I hope this doesn't make you mad like last time, but I forgot you're not one of my sisters. My bad," he laughs awkwardly as he scratches the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "I'm just happy you're not going to fight me on this."

I grab my hair and pull it over my face when I feel all the blood vessels expand under the skin of my cheeks like fire. Along with this is a sudden inexplicable rush of guilt as thick as tar settling in my thorax. I'm embarrassed and I feel happy...but what right do I have to feel good when Kaede and Monotaro are gone?

"Prairie?" Rantaro asks when I'm frozen in place for longer than expected, hair still covering my features when I feel tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes.

 _I was hoping I'd be able to make it to my room before the tears hit- if they would hit at all._

"Do you need to sit down for a moment?"

I shake my head, still standing in place. Obviously, Rantaro can tell I don't feel good, but he can't tell I'm literally in tears right now. Once I can manage, I turn away from him and make my way to the exit. Before I can open the door, he catches my hand again so I halt momentarily.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I-" Rantaro begins to apologize again until I whirl back around to face him and give him a startle when I drop my hair and wrap my arms around him. I don't trust my voice to keep steady if I speak, so I remain silent as I will my guilt to go away.

I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't be guilty over the fact that I'm alive. I shouldn't feel guilty for feeling even the smallest amount of joy in the moments after Kaede's death. Life goes on. _I_ didn't kill Kaede.

And yet, I can't help but feel like I'm just as much to blame as Miu for Kaede's death. Like I'm as responsible for the groundwork Monokuma set up to cause such distrust between Kaede, Miu, and I.

Rantaro wraps his arms around me even though he's clearly confused about whether I'm this upset over his accidental "sibling treatment" kiss. To my relief, he doesn't ask about it anymore, resorting to allowing me a moment to regain my bearings in silence.

Once I think I've gotten a hold of the tears, I step back from Rantaro's embrace quickly and turn to rush out of his room towards my own on the double. He makes a noise of surprise at my sudden sprint out of there, but he doesn't call for me or give a chase since he can see me heading up to the second story where my room is. I hear him close his room door once I open the door to my own room and-

…

"Get out," I growl at the invader in my room, reaching up to wipe the last of my tears with the back of my gloves since I'm still mostly covered in Kaede's blood.

"Huh?! But I was waiting in here for so long! Hey, are you crying? Again? You sure cry a lot for someone that knew all of this was coming. You should relax! We aren't dead! And eventually we're all going to get out of here and be the very _bestest of friends!_ " Kokichi exclaims in excitement from his spot extended across my bed, wiggling his feet.

 _At least he had the decency to not put his dirty shoes on my bed._

It sounds so peppy the way Kokichi says it- not to mention insensitive and mocking since us getting out of here and becoming friends was _Kaede's_ idea.

 _"Get. Out."_ I repeat, watching as he rolls over to peer at me upside down so his unruly locks all point down towards the earth due to gravity. He's got a plastic smile on his face, violet eyes searching my expression for something.

"You don't want to be the bestest of friends with me, Prairie Dog?"

"No. I'd rather stick my hand in a running blender than be friends with a sick freak like you," I practically spit out, watching Kokichi sit up properly to swing his legs playfully at the edge of my bed. The expression on his face gives off waves of amusement by my insult, only putting a saltier flavor in my mouth since I intended for my statement to hurt him.

"A 'sick freak'? Ouch, Prairie Dog, what did _I_ do to you? Aww, if this is 'cause I follow you around and love you _soo_ much, I'm sowwy~"

 _Ingenuine._

"Both you and Angie disgust me. If you wanna keep cracking jokes and mocking the dead, do it away from me."

Kokichi blinks owlishly, _"ohhh"_ -ing in understanding before offering me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry! Would it be better if I bawled my eyes out like you are? Will it make you feel better if I fall apart like a cracked egg? Will it be more useful if I stop to mourn the death of a person that intended to kill someone who just so happens to be- hmm, oh, that's right, _you?"_ Kokichi slowly gets less cheerful and more dry as he speaks, eyes narrowing on me. I don't even blink at the change, but I have to resist the urge to spit on his face. Rantaro would get real mad if I did that- even to a heartless rat like Kokichi.

"No. You just need to shut up and walk away. Trust me, people would thank you for it," I snap at him as I enter my room and walk over to where he is on my bed.

"Who knew Prairie Dog was such a savage...okay! I promise to never talk about Kaede getting face modifications from Miu like it's a joke! In fact, she looks lovelier now than ever before! Like something from Picasso-"

I grab the front of Kokichi's coat and close my eyes, thinking back to the time I saw Tenko flip Rantaro like a rag doll. Using my intuition, I steady my center of balance and turn immediately after grabbing one of his arms, pulling as hard as I can and flipping Kokichi over my shoulder and onto the carpet floor of my room. He lands with a breathless grunt as I knock all the air out of his lungs, my hand snatching the knife Monotaro resupplied me with days before and holding the blade over Kokichi's throat.

 _Well, my behavior right now is definitely worse than spiraling down an endless loop of negative thoughts, but I don't want to stop. Some one needs to teach this rat a lesson, and if no one else is going to step up to the plate, then I'll do it like I do freaking_ ** _everything else._**

 _Besides...Rantaro doesn't need to know this happened. He probably won't believe Kokichi anyways, he's a bigger guy than dinky little me._

Kokichi coughs a little and then catches his breath again, smiling up at me cheerily from where his head is propped on my leg to keep my knife at his neck. "Well, well, well...! You and Miu must have a lot more in common than I thought!"

"Give me a reason not to kill you."

"Ah...I'll give you three. I'm cute, charming, and charismatic! Right? _Riiight?"_ Kokichi snickers with a wink, calling out my bluff by easily reaching up to press my knife away by a finger to the edge of the blade. When he sees what part of the blade I had pressing to his throat, he laughs. "Nee-hee-hee! You're so cute, Prairie Dog! Even like this, you can't even give a better show to make me think you want to hurt me. What are you planning on cutting with the sharp end facing _away_ from me?"

"Idiot, I don't actually want to hurt you, _I want you to get out of my-"_ I start, just as Kokichi snatches the knife from my hand, tossing it to the side and whipping out his fancy switchblade with the dice at the end. He shoves me back on the ground and holds it up to my throat, the sharp end definitely resting on my skin just like it did when he found me after Kaede's initial failed murder attempt on me.

"If you _really_ want to be seen as a threat, you need to commit to what you're threatening to do to the edge. Toe the line purposefully without crossing it- you feel me, Prairie Dog? Don't be so wishy-washy," Kokichi instructs, making me open my mouth and promptly fall silent when I realize what he's doing. What he's _been_ doing- all without me noticing till now.

"Wait a minute…! You're training me to be as much of a prick as you! _Get out!"_ I bark, struggling against his hold so he's forced to pull his knife away to avoid actually cutting me in such a dangerous place.

"Ah, I was _wondering_ when you would notice!" Kokichi cheerfully comments, putting his knife away and standing up to fold his arms behind his neck and stroll towards my door. "Ah, my job here is done~"

 _Job? What job?_

When Kokichi looks back to see my curious expression on the floor, he grins slyly.

"I knew you were upset with me already. I just needed to get you to remember why you love me so much, Prairie Dog! So...am I still a 'sick freak'? Rather than judge me for how _I_ cope and respond to death, why don't you focus on more important things? Seriously. _Get off my back._ "

My expression darkens as he turns to leave, my left hand finding the knife where he'd thrown it from my grasp.

I stand up and close my eyes, flipping the dagger to hold it by the blade and pulling my arm back to throw the knife with an aggressive swing of my arm and torso towards him. The moment the blade leaves my hand, I open my eyes and see the dagger slip straight past Kokichi's neck like an arrow, causing the teen to stop dead in his tracks as it keeps flying past him. It continues forward, but soon loses speed to the point it evidently clatters somewhere below on the first floor.

For a second I wonder if I actually made my mark, until I see Kokichi's bandanna come loose and drop before Kokichi catches it. He turns to look at me quietly, his neck completely untouched by the blade I threw so close to it. There's no surprise on his face, or any other expression for that matter, leaving him standing there as he holds his cut bandanna and stares at me.

However, that all changes in a moment when he grins and his eyes light up in awe after a few more seconds.

 _"Whoa!_ That was _so cool,_ Prairie Dog! How did you-"

I promptly slam the door shut on his face, ending the conversation just like that.

Thankfully as I shower, he doesn't try to break back into my room. One concerning thing about my room is the fact the shower is easily seen through and in the same room as my bed due to constraints in space. That means, Kokichi could potentially break in while I'm at my most vulnerable.

Of course this makes me hyper paranoid as I stare at the door like a hawk, forcing my burning eyes to stay open even when water and soap starts to get in them as a result of lathering and rinsing.

Once I've completed my shower, I momentarily contemplate shoving something in front of the door for future showers, but evidently just give up on the idea when I see what I'm limited to. Instead, I walk over to my dresser...and grimace at my options.

Or rather, my _lack_ of options, since everything I've got is already used and dirty, save for my second set of pajamas. Thing is, it's too...small to wear around a boy. I can't go back to Rantaro's room in dirty clothes- of _either_ type!

Just as I'm about to wing it on my return to Rantaro's room and simply chill in my room, I'm startled by a knock on my door.

 _Augh, don't tell me it's Rantaro…! Okay, okay, just don't open the door, that's all. Call from this side of the door._

"W-Who is it?" I ask, making a face at my usual stammer. Hm, I wish that would go away...it's embarrassing.

"It's me! Oh, I mean- Tsumugi here!"

I breathe a sigh of relief, opening my door for her to come in and half-hiding behind the door in my undies as she enters. She's carrying a bag of something and smiles when she turns to see me.

"Oh, good, you're not wearing anything!" Tsumugi observes, making my cheeks flush as I cross my arms over my chest until she pulls something out of that bag of hers. "This is just a first trial cosplay to make sure I measured everything right. Kaede was actually the one that suggested I make this cosplay. I was hoping she'd see it before the time limit, but…"

She trails off and seems to space out for a moment, making me sigh sympathetically in agreement. This snaps her out of it though, and she then sets out the cosplay on my bed.

It's nothing I can think of as familiar, but the dress is really pretty- albeit a bit too mature with the slit on the side that goes up farther than it probably should on someone my age.

"This is a cosplay for a character Kaede and I were talking about when we were doing our nails before! This is 2B from the action-roleplaying game _NieR: Automata!_ She's a combat android," Tsumugi explains, making me raise an eyebrow her way.

 _I didn't think Kaede was the type to play video games…_

I brush away my guilt again and pick up the first layer, a white and black body suit of the likes that I'm sure will make me feel insecure.

"Since this is your first time cosplaying, it's good to ease into it with something simple like this. Next time, we can play with your hair and makeup!" Tsumugi says, helping me with stepping into the outfit since most of the buttons and ties are more for aesthetics and less for utility ease. There's pretty much no way for me to dress or undress myself with this thing...and part of me feels like that was intentional on Tsumugi's part.

At first I was sorta relieved I could wear something else and keep my word to Rantaro. It looked concerning _before_ putting it on, but looking in the mirror with it on now…

"I feel like a prostitute," I bluntly state, pulling a bundle of my curls over my face as Tsumugi adjusts my headband and laughs at my statement.

"No! Being a little sexy isn't bad, Prairie~! You look super cute!" Tsumugi says behind me, just before I hear the snap of a camera shutter and turn my head to look at her. When my eyes jump down to see a camera in her hands, I gasp a little.

"A-Are you photographing me?"

"What? No, of course not," she answers, followed by another shutter when she presses the capture button despite me staring straight at her midst her actions.

"You _are,"_ I gape quietly at the fact her mouth is denying what her hands are actively doing. Figures the Ultimate Cosplayer wouldn't be able to help herself taking a few photographs.

Just when I think it can't possibly get any more humiliating, a knock sounds at the door.

 _Oh no, this time it probably really_ _is_ _Rantaro!_

"Pairie? You doing okay in there?" I hear his deep velvety voice from the other side, causing my heart and stomach to constrict violently.

"Oh, Rantaro! Wait till you see- I caught her just coming out of the shower and got her to try on the 2B cosplay Kaede suggested before!" Tsumugi calls out, opening the door with zero shame to let him right in. "See?! Doesn't she look so...so…? Prairie? Where'd you go?"

"Prairie? Come on out, I'm sure it can't be that bad," I hear Rantaro laugh a little as I hide under my bed like a pathetic wimp. It's the most obvious place to hide, and literally the first place Rantaro looks to find me all curled up to hide myself. He smiles at the sight and holds out a hand to me silently, waiting for me to grab it on my own accord.

 _What was Kaede thinking suggesting a cosplay like this to Tsumugi?_

Evidently, I swallow down my pride and grab his hand, letting him help me out from under until I'm up and standing on my own.

When I'm out though, he pauses and suddenly frowns a bit when he fully sees what I have on, scanning my outfit for a long second before-

"Tsumugi. Isn't this outfit a little revealing in some areas?" He seems unable to resist addressing, turning his head to look at Tsumugi with a critical eye of disapproval.

 _I knew it! I'm not crazy, it_ ** _is_** _too mature! Why'd I let myself get charmed out from under the bed by his stupidly stupid good looks again?! I mean… I can see that cut on my chest from when I was climbing the wall too…._

"Of course a man like you would never understand the necessity of a woman's need for bodily freedom…" Tsumugi comments shadily, her words salty but her pride remaining intact despite Rantaro's sharp look trained on her. I snatch my hands out of Rantaro's to grip the slit of the dress closed at my side and throw my other arm over my chest with a squeak of shame.

"I-I don't have anything else to wear…my room was fixed but I only got a few outfits unlike the rest of you," I explain in embarrassment.

Rantaro sighs in resignation, even though Tsumugi looks extremely proud of her work.

"Well, as long as it keeps you occupied," Rantaro comments to my confusion. Occupied? Rantaro smiles a little when I tilt my head to the side curiously, his hands reaching out to adjust my headband a little bit. "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

I don't say anything else on it, even once my brain makes the connection of what Rantaro is talking about. Kaede is dead...and even though I watched her die, it still doesn't really feel real yet. It's such a strange feeling to have someone disappear so suddenly. She's not coming back, but it still feels like I could walk into the game room or to her door and that she could reappear again.

Maybe Kokichi is right to make the effort not to fall apart over her death- at least not yet. Maybe it's his way of making sure I don't lose my focus on the fight with Monokuma and the killing game.

Maybe…

Ah, who am I kidding. Kokichi's just a rat. And a liar.

* * *

I wake up with a startle- moments after a bad dream in which I roll over in bed to find Kaede invading my space.

After seeing her face in the bathroom, I knew I'd have nightmares about it. The only way I could possibly describe her state without my stomach rolling would be a smashed in porcelain doll.

The first time I wake up, everything is smooth and calm. I sleep for an hour and Rantaro hardly notices anything wrong since I don't jolt upright. He seems to notice a bit of a white lie in my words when I mention I'm fine and roll over to get a little more sleep, but he doesn't call me out on it.

The second time I wake up from Kaede's appearance in what starts off as a dream about pastries and nectarines, I find Rantaro has retired his book to take a nap beside me. Naturally, I of course panic a little, but manage to relax my nerves so I don't wake him up and instead shoot him a look after his earlier critique of Tsumugi's cosplay on me. After checking to see what stupid book an dummy like him has been so invested in ( _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ ), I eventually curl back up and make an effort to keep napping.

The third time is the worst.

I laugh as a water balloon hits Kaito Momota, the teen howling with laughter as I dodge an attack from his badly aimed throw in favor of pelting him with a water balloon of my own.

"That's right, Prairie Dog! Show him what you're made of!"

At that compliment, I whirl around because I don't trust the voice, just in time for a water balloon to smack my shoulder and blast a splash of cold water over me that makes me pull up a leg and hug myself with a squeal at the chilly temperature in comparison to my otherwise warm body.

"You _rat!"_ I giggle, getting in a pitchers position and hurling a water balloon straight at him with no mercy. "HA!"

It connects with the back of his head, causing him to basically eat dirt as I laugh from where I am.

"She shoots, she _scores!_ How about that, Oma? I told you I'd make you regret always teasing me!" I snicker evilly, jumping up and down with delight.

"HIII-YAH!"

I yelp again when a water balloon soaks my backside, followed by another assault from someone else behind me. When I hear a familiar peppy laugh, I realize Angie has double-teamed with Tenko to take me down and grin.

"Ohh, that's it! I'm getting _all of you_ now!" I snicker, closing my eyes to activate my intuition. After all, the killing game is over and we escaped Monokuma! I can use it for whatever I want!

I snatch up water balloons and pelt them left and right, hearing the occasional grunts and breathless gasps as I deliver the onslaught of divine justice.

Shuichi makes almost no indication when I get him, but I can't help but laugh at the sound of Kiibo's hilarious scream of terror. Good thing he's water-proof, or he'd have to sit out on all the fun!

By the time I'm sure I've gotten everyone, I stop throwing water balloons and half bend over to catch my breath. Thankfully in the time I was throwing the water balloons from the bucket beside me, the water had gotten somewhat warmer from the sun. I felt some of it splatter over me, including my face, so I wipe my eyes thoroughly with a breathless laugh.

"Told you I'd get all of you! How did you guys not even get me once though? I had my eyes closed and didn't even move from this spot, I mean-"

I open my eyes and my voice dies out in my throat.

At first, it takes a second to process the hue of liquid splattered all over my body, feeling my smile fall when I see the crooked tiles of a familiar school floor- separated by weeds and rogue grass patches. My heart lurches at the pink color that covers my body and the floor, causing my stomach to roll.

My head snaps up and I immediately regret looking, hearing a strangled noise escape me when I realize everyone's spread out laying dead all around me surrounded by shot-put balls. Everyone has their Ultimate Outfits on rather than their bathing suits, and as I look at each face around me- Gonta's, Himiko's, Korekiyo's, Rantaro's, Maki's- their faces are all broken and shattered.

I let out another noise as I see their faces, resisting the urge to vomit. The smell of blood, coppery and salty, is pungent in the air. _Overpowering._ I can practically taste it in my mouth.

My heart pounds violently when I look down to see the bucket of shot-put balls I'd been grabbing from, rather than water balloons.

 _I can't look at them...I need to get out of here-!_

I whirl around and trip over a ball, landing square on the body of a person that hadn't even been present during the water balloon match at the start. Seeing Kaede's face all smashed in so close to my own causes my heart to lurch and I let out a cry of horror, trying to scramble away until her arms snap up and grab my shoulders.

Terrified and just wanting to get away, I struggle violently and reach for something- _anything._

I find a shot-put ball. Lifting it up, I shove Kaede and-

* * *

 _"Oof-!"_

I open my eyes in time to see myself hit Rantaro in the face with a pillow. His grunt is muffled, but once I realize what I'm doing, I snatch the pillow away and push away from him to look around the room quickly.

"Prairie, you're okay," I hear Rantaro reassure me carefully as my head turns every which way before landing on him. "You were having a nightmare."

My breathing is still broken and my heart is still beating erratically, but once I'm sure I'm not about to see Kaede's face suddenly appear out of nowhere, I start to relax.

"Sorry…" I mumble, embarrassed he had to deal with this mess of mine.

"Prairie, there's nothing to be sorry about, you didn't _ask_ for a nightmare. No one does. But...do you want to talk about it? It might help if we address the root of the issue and make it less scary," Rantaro suggests, making me quickly shake my head in response. At my answer, he sighs and rubs the back of his neck helplessly, opening his mouth to say something and promptly pausing when as he looks closer at me. "Oh no, Prairie, don't cry-"

The second he says that and I reach up to find water collecting in the corners of my eyes, I gather my hair up over my face. When he starts to pull me towards him, I yank my arm back and shift away from him.

"Prair-"

 _"I'm not crying,"_ I object, hearing Rantaro blow out a low breath and give up trying to pull me over when I refuse his pull again.

"Okay, my mistake. You aren't crying," he agrees after a moment, instead getting around my attitude to shift closer and come to me instead so he can put an arm around my shoulder. "Just relax, I can at least tell you're stressed out. It's okay if you need a moment."

I don't exactly agree with that last part, but I make an effort to calm myself down a little when he manages to get me to lean on his shoulder. How stubborn can he be? Why can't he just sit there and patiently wait for me to finish being dramatic? I don't need coddling or cuddles! They're dumb anyways!

... _It was just so gory. I can't get her face out of my head. I can't even remember what Kaede's face normally looked like, and I saw her less than twenty-four hours ago!_

"We can go to the dining hall and get some tea if you want?" Rantaro suggests after a small silence falls over us. My breathing has slowed to a normal pace at this point and at that idea, I manage a nod and wipe my eyes.

He gives me all the time I need to fix my hair in a less ratty appearance and pull on my heeled boots Tsumugi supplied me with for the cosplay. The moment I'm okay, I stand up and head for the door, Rantaro following me and letting me step out first.

"Good evening, you two. How are you two doing tonight?" Kirumi asks, making both of us look past her to see the "night" sky outside. Seems like it's only the early night, so the dining hall should still be opened.

"Honestly, could be better. We're going to get some tea from the dining hall, would you like to join us, Kirumi?" Rantaro offers, prompting the Ultimate Maid to smile as we join her.

"Of course. I'd love to serve the two of you," Kirumi answers, making Rantaro and I share a look of mild amusement.

I laugh a little, watching as Kirumi blinks with this pleasant, patient look on her face. She's hardly ever phased by things, it's actually pretty impressive. "No, y-you don't need to serve us this time. We're inviting you as a friend, not as the Ultimate Maid," I clarify with a smile.

"So that is your request then? To accompany you for tea?" Kirumi inquires, determination in her gray-green eyes.

"I mean-" I start to say with an uncertain smile, Rantaro cutting in to pat my head warmly so I know he's going to take care of the rest.

"Yes, that's right. That's our request," Rantaro answers simply, making me blink up at him in surprise

"Very well, I accept your request," Kirumi pleasantly obliges, turning away to lead us out of the dormitory building.

When I look at Rantato, he gives me a smile and taps his temple with a charming wink. "Gotta invite her the Kirumi way or we'll be here forever. Trust me," he explains, making me giggle as he takes my hand to catch us up with Kirumi.

"By the way, Prairie, would you like me to adjust your dress properly? I must say, it's rather revealing...I have a sowing kit at hand that I can use to reduce the skirt slit and fix the cut at the bust to hide more of your cleavage," Kirumi speaks up to my embarrassment. Once again, I snatch my hand out of Rantaro's to hold the skirt slit together and cover my chest.

"I-It's Tsumugi's cosplay and she's forbidden alterations to it, unfortunately," I explain with red cheeks I can't hide since I'm busy covering my body. At my response, Kirumi lets out a small hum of understanding as we walk through the courtyard.

"That's perfectly fine, I understand. The necessity of a woman's need for bodily freedom," Kirumi acknowledges, prompting me to frown a little in confusion. Her too? What is this weird phrase they're tossing around? I don't want bodily freedom, I want clothes that cover my body! Is that too much to ask for?

When we get to the kitchen, we're surprised to see someone already there with an untouched mug of tea. Kirumi seems unperturbed, but I can't help but pause at the doorway hesitantly. All of a sudden, my memories of my nightmares resurface and I soon hurry to rejoin Rantaro's side, the sound of my heels clicking along with Kirumi's.

How can I look Shuichi in the eyes knowing it's my fault Kaede's dead? Those two were close in these last days...probably closer than even Rantaro and I, I suspect. Will he blame me for what happened?

"Good evening, Shuichi," Kirumi snaps me out of my morbid thoughts with her pleasant voice, followed by Rantaro's hello as we continue in. Rantaro doesn't really look my way when I link arms with him upon Shuichi looking up at the three of us, rather he uses my move to guide me in to a seat with him opposite of Shuichi.

Said Ultimate Detective looks worse for wear- not even wearing his usual trademark cap as it sits collecting dust on the table beside him.

Rantaro gently nudges my arm when I don't say anything- not even when I look up to see his patient gesture for me to at least make an effort. My eyes shift back to Shuichi and I instead duck a little in my seat and avert my gaze.

"Shuichi, your tea is cold. Would you like me to make you a fresh one?" Kirumi easily breaks the tension, allowing fresh air to fill my lungs again.

"Ah- yes, that would be great. Thank you," Shuichi speaks up, voice dry and weak. I wince a bit hearing it, more guilt filling my gut.

"I'll start the tea for us then," Kirumi announces, the smile on her face sympathetic, light, and understanding as she heads for the kitchen to give us a moment. Clearly she can tell that the three of us have a lot of issues to work out with each other.

 _I should have said no to the tea. I'm not ready to see or talk to Shuichi yet. I want to go back to my room. I feel worse than I did after my nightmares of Kaede._

"Sorry, I...don't really know what to say," Shuichi breaks the extended silence with a humorless and awkward laugh. It isn't until then that I notice he seems to be just as uncomfortable as I am, if not more so. I open my mouth to speak up, but he beats me to it. "But I do need you to know this isn't your fault, Prairie. It's mine."

To say I'm rendered speechless is an understatement. Not my fault…? What is he talking about saying her death is _his_ doing?

If it wasn't for stupid Monokuma and my incessant need to poke and prod at him, maybe he wouldn't have made the effort to make me appear untrustworthy in Kaede's eyes. Maybe Kaede wouldn't have thought I was secretly partnered with Monokuma.

If I hadn't confronted Kaede about the shot-put ball in her backpack and had just put it back and pretended I hadn't seen it, she wouldn't have felt pressured to attack me with it then and there.

There's a thousand things I could have done that would have prevented her death- I could have even _hidden_ the shot-put ball and played dumb about the change in the weight of her backpack. I could have left, I could have hid, I could have told someone. The others being mad at her, my initial reason for not telling others that she had tried to kill me, would have been better than her dying. We could have addressed it earlier together before _anything_ was remotely done.

"Yesterday night, Kaede told me what she did to you, Prairie. She confessed everything. She didn't have to, she could have swept it under the rug with just you two knowing, but she didn't," Shuichi states, pausing for a moment to let us absorb this new information.

 _So Shuichi also knew...which means she didn't originally tell him she'd been planning to target me as the person working with Monokuma._

"So if she confessed to you...how does that make you responsible for her death? Kaede said herself that she knew exactly what she was doing. As far as I can see, Kaede is responsible for her own actions. I don't enjoy the fact that she's passed away anymore than either of you two, believe me, but painting her in a white light over her attempt at murder just because she was robbed of her time here would also be wrong," Rantaro speaks up.

Shuichi gives him a reasonable look, appearing someone ashamed about what he's going to tell us. I can already piece together what he's about to say, looking down at my lap and fidgeting with the hem of my dress skirt.

"Rantaro, do you think Kaede came up with the idea Prairie was suspicious all on her own?"

My mouth goes dry when I hear him ask that. To be fairly honest, I guess I always suspected it from the start. It's probably why I was salty enough to draw Shuichi as a chicken after _Kaede_ wronged me. I knew the root of her actions mainly sprouted from somewhere other than her own suspicions, despite Kaede never confirming it.

"Kaede is a smart gi- ... _was_ a smart girl. But she's the Ultimate _Pianist,_ not the Ultimate Wattson. I was suspicious of Prairie and I confided in Kaede with my suspicions, my findings, and any new evidence that came to light. It started after I found the secret moving-"

"-bookcase in the library?" I ask in unison with his words, surprise coating my features as I share a glance with Rantaro. "We found that before too. The one with the dusty card reader, right?"

"Ah, yes! ...I guess you must have triggered the small trap if you know about the dust, in that case. I put the dust in the card reader to check if it was being used," Shuichi half-smiles, but the gesture doesn't quite reach his gold eyes.

"So you knew about the hidden door and I assume you came to the same conclusion Prairie and I did...that there's one of us working with Monokuma," Rantaro asks lowly, just before Kirumi comes back out and starts handing out tea to the three of us. Once she takes a seat on Shuichi's other side, the topic immediately seems to die away in favor of returning to Kaede. Shuichi gives us a meaningful look, but we take the topic back to what it originally was.

"So I bounced every suspicious thought I had off of Kaede to help me go over what I had in my mind and see if she had suggestions herself. I didn't want to let anyone else know and cause a mass panic, if only because there was still enough of a margin of error for me to be wrong about Prairie and I didn't want anyone to target her what with the time limit," Shuichi explains, making Rantaro hum in understanding and lean back in his seat to take a long sip of his tea despite that it's very clearly still steaming hot.

I stare at him for a moment, already sensing something up with him and waiting for him to say it. If only because I'm already set to counter his hypocritical butt.

 _Say it, I_ ** _dare_** _you._

Rantaro sets down his mug.

"So how'd that turn out then?" He asks Shuichi's way, his tone ever so pleasant despite the shade I can taste in his words. Clearly he's not letting go Kaede's attempted murder of me…

 _This is for you, Kaede._

I lift up my heeled foot under the table, slamming it down on his beside me and making him jump with a slight twitch on his face as he resists cringing when I keep my heel dug into his foot.

"It turned out just fine, Rantaro," I answer with a dainty smile, even though he directed that little quip towards Shuichi rather than me. He looks like he's in some pain, but he hides it pretty well. "As you can clearly see, I'm still here."

"...unlike one of us," Shuichi sighs, looking down at his tea without drinking it. It's going to get cold again if he keeps staring at it rather than drinking it. "Kaede's dead because I let her continue on with my suspicions. I should have told her no. Maybe if I hadn't told her I still needed her help, she would still be here. She shouldn't have gone to see Miu, it should have been me."

Rantaro lifts my foot off of his with a look aimed my way, turning back to Shuichi.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for it, Shuichi. In the end, what happened happened. You couldn't predicted Kaede's actions or death anymore than you could have predicted being stuffed here in the first place with us. It's just...bad luck," Rantaro is sympathetic enough to say, thankfully being less bitter about Kaede considering the situation. That's much better, if I say so myself.

 _Poor Kaede. She only targeted me because she thought killing me- the one most suspect of being in kahoots with Monokuma- might end the killing game and help the rest of the group get home. I don't like the idea of being killed and if she had targeted...I don't know Rantaro, I'd be furious too. However, I can see how someone could potentially get tunnel vision with that thought. Especially with Monokuma having fanned the flames of distrust._

 _I get how Shuichi feels. If I could go back and hide that shot-put ball in her backpack, I would. If I could change what happened to her, I would. But I can't. I guess that's what makes death so upsetting to the people left behind. It's not really the death itself that breaks a person's heart, but looking back along the trail and seeing all the overlooked paths that would have led to a better outcome._

"Kokichi apparently doesn't need to hear any suspicions from the Ultimate Detective to throw accusations at me like he's already done. I hate to admit it, but that rat sorta has the right idea though- it's not like we can really trust each other in this place...god, this is all messed up. I just wish there was some other potential way out of here or something," I state before remembering the tunnel Kaede and Monokid told me about. "I don't even care if it's booby trapped, anything would be great right now."

 _Well, I might as well see if any of them are willing to trust telling me about the tunnel now. If it wasn't for Kaede, I would have never known about it…_

"Me too," Kirumi says.

"Same," Rantaro casually adds.

"Yep. Definitely no other way out," Shuichi throws in his two cents.

All the while, I have to force myself to stay relaxed so none of them realize I am _seething_ on the inside.

 _Lying little hypocrites- is it "Be Kokichi" day, or what?_

How I manage to keep a straight and natural face, I have no idea, but Shuichi soon shifts the topic away from exits.

"I didn't think Kaede would react so recklessly like she did, especially since my suspicions were simply speculative and nothing concrete. I let her know before, but I don't understand why she jumped the gun like that," Shuichi expresses, hands cupped around his warm mug as he frowns in thought.

"...Monokuma was bugging me a lot the past few days, popping up out of nowhere and then leaving after certain points. Kaede said she saw me with that stupid bear a lot," I explain, taking a sip of my tea to control my temper from the previous topic.

"So she was also manipulated to thinking it...but she didn't mention seeing Prairie with Monokuma, correct? I presume she must have had some reason to conceal the truth from you, considering how much you two cooperated with one another," Kirumi speaks up, looking at ease despite the topic.

"No. She didn't mention it to be a concern of hers specifically for that reason, but she did comment once that she thought Monokuma was around Prairie a lot...I just assumed she was concerned about Prairie's well-being, not that it seemed _suspicious_ ," Shuichi comments, making me frown and wrinkle my nose in though. Speaking of suspicions though-

"...hey, Shuichi." The Ultimate Detective looks up at me when I ask for his attention. "If you're suspicious of me...why are you telling me all this then? I mean...that's not a very smart or safe move on your part. I could potentially use all this information you're giving me to my advantage."

Shuichi sighs, running his hands over his face as he figures out a response. Poor guy.

"Maybe because I feel guilty? 'Cause Kaede's death has made me think differently about you?...My suspicions of you were never clear cut. You're suspicious, but some of the things you've done are, well... _crazy._ I can't help but ask if someone, _anyone,_ would go so far to make others believe they're on their side with what you've pulled. You climbed up the wall with gear that could have potentially killed you either intentionally or unintentionally. You're literally all beat up because of everything you do. I just...I don't know," he answers, looking exhausted as he leans his elbows on the table.

At that, I push my chair out and stand up, prompting everyone to look my way as I start walking around the table. Rantaro gives me a curious look, but rather than answer him, I continue until I've reached Shuichi's spot at the dining table.

Once I reach Shuichi, he looks up at me and I reach out to give him a hug.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Rantaro's right, we shouldn't blame ourselves. I don't think Kaede would want that," I reassure Shuichi, pulling back and smiling when I see the pointed ahoge at the top of Shuichi's head. "Hey, maybe you can communicate with her in heaven with that antenna you have there. You're like her!"

I flick at his ahoge and make a "zoink!" when it bounces back into place, observing his half stunned face for a moment before he's soon laughing a little at my statement.

 _I should take my own advice. I know what happened was terrible. It was the_ _ **worst**._ _But for her sake, we need to get out of here- all of us. We need to keep going._

"...hey, Kiibo also has an ahoge. You think his is actually a real antenna or something?" I ask curiously, pretending not to notice Rantaro beaming at me with pride for my good behavior and kindness. Just wait, he won't be proud of me for very long. I got a whole lineup of things I need to do that he's not going to be so proud of me about.

"What is this robophobic claim I've just walked in on, Prairie?!" I hear a familiar voice exclaim from behind Rantaro at the dining hall entrance. I jump almost a foot in the air, wincing and hiding behind Shuichi and his chair as I fluff my hair over my red face in embarrassment.

"I-I'm _sorry…!"_ I squeak, followed by laughter from the others, save for the irritated looking Kiibo.

 _Well, at least everyone is at ease right now...but once I get a chance, I'm headed for that tunnel._

 _If anyone has a chance of getting through it, then it's definitely me._

 ** _End of 3.1 - Confide_**


	31. 3:2 - Comeback

**_3.2 - Comeback_**

I cough and adjust some of my curls over my shoulder, completely a nervous wreck as I take a tentative peek at the person across from me. On the other side of the marble table with gold legs is Kaede Akamatsu. There's something...wrong about her. I can't quite put my finger on it, but her head is ducked down so I can't see her face.

"Puhuhu~! Time for the main course!" Monokuma cheers manically, red eye flashing as he slams a silver platter unceremoniously on the table between us. I flinch at the movement and sound, giving Monokuma the nastiest look I can muster from my arsenal. As he adjusts his chefs hat, he grins wider at me. "Oh, don't be like that, Miss Marble. I brought you only the _best_ cuisine! I promise!"

He breaks off into giggles at the end of his statement, only pushing me to believe otherwise. Monokuma only exists to spread despair, after all.

 _Stupid bear._

Monokuma wiggles his butt as he leans over to grab hold of the lid to the platter, tail also wiggling in excitement. Despite that he's serving both Kaede and I, the mechanical bear keeps his gaze affixed on me for my reaction rather than Kaede's. On that note, the blonde across from me still doesn't respond to what's happening, making me eye her in concern. Is she okay?

"Kaede? Is everything alright?" I query, shifting to try and see her face at an angle. I can't see it. It seems there's a shadow concealing every inch of her features.

"Ignore her!" Monokuma snaps, making me look back his way. "Look at _this_ instead!"

Monokuma lifts up the lid of the silver platter and my eyes go wide when I see what's resting in it.

Covered in stains of blood with both arms and legs crudely ripped off is Monotaro, laying on the silver plate with a pink stained shot-put ball shoved between his teeth forcefully.

Startled and hurt to see how Monokuma's treated him, I lurch out of my seat with a shout. Just as my hand nears the red bear, Kaede stands up and looks at me, her own bloody hand grabbing mine in a painful grip as I realize it isn't a shadow on Kaede's face. She's missing a face altogether, leaving a plane of emptiness where features _should_ be.

I scream, trying to pull my arm back when she drags me closer over the table and grabs a knife from beside the platter. My eyes widen as she lifts her arm, aiming clearly for my face.

"What's wrong? This is what you ordered, isn't it? Isn't this what you _wanted?"_ Monokuma asks, my eyes darting to him quickly before I'm pulling harder at my arm to get away from Kaede.

"Please, DON'T!" I cry.

She brings down the knife.

* * *

I wake up in my pajamas- a cold sweat covering my body from head to toe as I sit up and let my eyes scan the room for any potential dangers. I jump off my bed and onto my feet, stumbling a little as I look in potential hiding spots, either for a person _or_ a bear.

I look under my bed first. Then I check my dresser and under my vanity. Every nook and cranny is thoroughly looked into until the point that I'm sure I'm completely by myself in my room, left with a fast-paced palpitating and twitches in my neck and chest. My eyes water when I start thinking about Kaede's face again. It just keeps coming back to the forefront of my mind, and I don't understand why. I don't want to remember Kaede like _that!_

Taking a seat on my bed, I reach for my monopad on my night table to check the time. This is already the fifth or sixth time (I've lost count) that I'm waking up from a nightmare about Kaede, and lack of proper sleep is starting to exhaust me. It's a good thing I rejected Rantaro's offer to spend the night. One, _boy._ Two, I don't need him trying to coddle me like his kid sister just 'cause of a stupid nightmare. I'll get through this myself…

 _I guess that tunnel will have to wait just a little longer- at least until I'm at tip top shape again. This isn't fair though. I just want to sleep._

…

Well, it's two in the morning and most of the others are likely to be asleep. I guess I can maybe explore for a bit and see if it makes me sleepy enough to _stay_ asleep.

I glance down at my pajamas and then at the mannequin at the side of my room- the one bearing that 2B cosplay dress. There's no way I can put that on by myself, and I'm definitely not waking Tsumugi or Kirumi up to dress me up.

 _I can maybe wash my clothes too now that I'm not about to ruin that dress Tsumugi put together. Just...I'll do anything to keep myself busy and get myself tired. I'll get over the nightmares on my own. How hard can it be?_

Spoiler alert: pretty hard.

And so I wash my clothes and evidently get tired enough to try falling asleep properly. When I wake up an hour later, heart racing and the image of Kaede's face _still_ haunting my dreams, I end up leaving my room carelessly to make my way across the courtyard and to the school.

Rather than head to the library, which is peaceful and chock-full of content that could potentially bore me to an eight hour complete slumber, I end up going to the game room. It's empty from what I can see...good. Not that I don't like company, but I'd rather not worry anyone right now.

Looking around, I make a point to completely pass over the _Pac Man_ machine. Just looking at it hurts my heart...and then my eyes land on another _Namco_ brand arcade machine reading _Galaga._ Curious, my head cocks to the side and I start walking over to it to get a better look at the preview of the game play.

I let out a squeak of surprise when my foot catches the edge of another machine on my way, slamming my pinkie toe hard on the side of it with such a force that I cry out and stumble the rest of the way to the machine. My hand hits the button as I brace myself on it and pull up my foot to baby it, rubbing the pain out of my pinkie toe to finally glance at the arcade machine screen. There's a list of high scores being displayed now, and I frown when I read what it essentially says.

1\. OMA 2. BEAT 3. MY 4. SCOR 5. PDOG

I have to read it a few times before I realize what it is and smile a little. Clever little prick…

Casting the previous of the arcade game a thoughtful look when the screen idles long enough to play it again, I grin a bit wider and bite my lip in thought. Take his challenge or ignore it? I mean, I _am_ sleep deprived, so I might not do so good…

…

But then again, his score looks easy enough to beat. How he got it when he doesn't have intuition like me though is impressive. Bah! A challenge is a challenge. I'll kick his ratty butt sleep deprived or not!

I grab onto the controls and hit start.

At first the game seems simple enough…as soon as I memorize the enemy attack patterns using my intuition with reckless abandon to collect as many points as possible though, I'm flying through levels like there's no tomorrow.

For every challenge round, I get an extra life for every perfect forty count score I get via hits, up until I have seven lives, including the two I maneuver on screen.

 _Okay, this is past overkill. I might as well call it quits now, I wanna see if that rat can beat_ my _score now._

I kamikaze the game and grin as I throw in my initials of BLTZ, only pausing when a bitter flavor hits my tongue- and it isn't just the blood I see when I stick my tongue out and tap a finger to the tip.

" _The_ _ **fuck?!**_ _I wouldn't kill_ _ **PERFECT BLITZ!"**_

" _Aww, how thoughtful~! Not Prairie Dog, just someone else, right?"_

At that memory, I delete my initials and replace them with MRBL instead, my smile gone despite the overkill I delivered to Kokichi on his high score which should have given me some joy. Any joy I had before that memory goes out the window, along with a sigh on my part.

A voice clears behind me as I lean over the _Galaga_ arcade machine and tuck my face in my hands.

"...I'm fine," I simply state, already knowing who it is. "Trust me, you don't need to worry."

Their footsteps across the carpet are almost barely audible as I wait, knowing my head would _not_ stay tucked down in a vulnerable position like this if it were maybe anyone else behind me. I know Rantaro would never hurt me though. His hands pull my messy locks behind my ears, weaving his fingers through my curly tresses.

My heart beats just a little faster at the comforting touch…and then speeds up when I peek through my own fingers down at the arcade controls, noticing something of a pink hue dripping down on it. My nose isn't bleeding and my mouth isn't filled with enough blood to drip _that_ amount. As I notice that, I become acutely aware of a liquid trailing down my chin as the hand behind me strokes my jawline.

 _No! Not again…!_

I snap my eyes shut and cover my face again, my breathing increasing in speed along with my heart rate, and this time it's not because I'm under the impression that Rantaro is behind me.

The hands trail down and then wrap around my waist. What do I do? I don't wanna look again…!

"Please no more," I beg, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I can't spend the rest of the game like this- I need sleep. I need to get us out of here. I can't watch everyone end up like you."

My throat feels tight, words barely making it out intact without any cracks. For once, and it shocks me enough to bring me back to my senses a little, she actually speaks.

"I know."

I lift my head a little to look up at the arcade machine, but Kaede puts a bloody hand over my face. I'm sure if this wasn't a dream, I'd be completely horrified to have blood on my face, but I simply go still and wait for her to keep talking. Be it a dream or not...it's nice to hear her voice again, even if this is just my mind's attempt at giving myself some comfort.

"That's enough. You don't need to see me like this," her voice is gentle and airy- and I wonder for a moment how she can speak before chalking it up to dream logic. "You're right. You need to get everyone out...but you know you can't save everyone."

I feel her rest her head on my shoulder, causing a waterfall of blood to pour down my shoulder and side. I shiver a little at the feeling, forcing myself to stay composed.

"Not even Perfect Blitz is perfect, Prairie. Don't escape for me. Escape for _them."_ Kaede's arm tightens around me hard, making me wince when it makes my ribs ache. "Just don't end up like me."

 _...I need to look._

I pull her hands off of my face despite every nerve begging me not to for fear of just adding fuel to my nightmares, whirling around-

And seeing Kaede.

My stomach flip-flops when I see her.

She's exactly how she's supposed to look.

"Kaede!" I blurt out, receiving such a warm smile that my heart nearly leaps out of my rib cage. Glancing down where I could have sworn I had blood all over my side, I'm relieved to see no blood at all, not even a droplet on either of us. Once I'm sure we're both okay, I throw my arms around her, Her returning hug still aches my bones a bit, but I can't bring myself to care about it. Now when I can see Kaede for real in my dreams as she's supposed to look.

"You know you're only dreaming, right?" She asks soberly after I pull away to look at her face again, committing her features to my memory. I don't want to forget her again.

"I know, but it's okay. I don't care if my brain is tricking me." I pause for a moment, eyes watering again. It's not really Kaede, but I have so much I want to say to the girl I thought I would get along so well with. A girl I barely got the chance to get to know. "I miss you."

She smiles again, sympathy fluttering over the surface of her lilac pink eyes. "I know."

"...I wish we had more time to get to know each other and play the piano together," I say as well, watching her nod before laughing a little in amusement.

"Even though you were having trouble stretching your fingers over the keys and kept complaining that you had munchkin hands?"

The reminder of that makes me laugh, washing away some of the guilt in my heart.

"I do though! Look at them, they're kiddy hands!" I insist with a fake pout, watching Kaede lift her hand to press it up against mine, laughing at the size difference.

"They're not kiddy hands, they're _dainty._ I mean...I'm sure Rantaro thinks they're cute," she giggles slyly, causing my face to screw up and my cheeks to turn fire red.

"N-No! Don't embarrass me like that, there's no way he thinks that…!" I squeak, just before our laughter and smiles eventually die out. This is nice, but...I'll eventually have to wake up.

"You'll be okay. You and I both know this. Just remember what I said. Don't end up like me. Be careful, Prairie," Kaede instructs, making my stomach churn.

"I don't wanna leave yet. I want to keep talking to you," I say, her eyes softening.

"Yeah, I know...but it's time to wake up."

Kaede puts her hands on my shoulders, looking almost apologetic for a moment before she does it. I blink and then let out a strangled gasp of terror when I see her face crack and break before me, back into that terrifying display post-murder.

* * *

"Rise and shine. Come on, Prairie, time to wake up," I hear a voice break through my sleep, making my body jump a little and my eyes fly open.

 _Where am I? Where's Kaede?_

Instead, when I look up from where I'm totally splayed out on the game room floor, I'm surprised to see the familiar face of Ryoma Hoshi nudging my shoulder with a hand. Confused, I sit up and look around until my eyes land on him again.

"Huh? I fell asleep...?" I question, making Ryoma chew thoughtfully on the mint cigarette between his lips.

"You might want to run back to your room on the double. Everyone's already up...and you're not dressed decently at the moment. You've got a long way to go from here- _literally_ ," he says casually, only for me to then realize he's trying to avoid looking at me as much as possible.

Oh, right. My pajamas.

…

My _small_ pajamas.

I squeak in horror, jumping to my feet and making a break for the exit in horror- only pausing when I see light barely coming in from above.

"W-What time is it?" I ask, turning despite Ryoma having his back turned to me as he observes the _Galaga_ arcade machine.

"It's eleven in the morning...you missed breakfast and everyone's looking for you," Ryoma answers, having to step on the lower edge of the machine to reach the controls to the _Galaga_ machine. I can see the scores pop up as I turn away and look at the stairwell again in disbelief.

 _Eleven in the morning?! That's so late, what the heck?! ...wait, that means that I was able to get a full night's sleep in the end!_

"Whoa, Prairie, how did you get a score like-"

I don't even hear the rest of Ryoma's words, quickly darting up the stairs barefooted peeking out into the hall to see who's around. The hall seems devoid of students...perfect. Time to make a break for it then…!

With fast steps, I race to the school entrance and then freeze, half peering out and hiding around the corner when I see a few students outside.

 _Aaa, this is bad. They'll definitely see me if I'm not careful._

I wait until I'm sure people won't see me dart towards a path by some nearly finished groomed grass, wincing at how close I am to one of the Exisals on autopilot. Just so happens the one I use for cover is the red accented one, with causes a soft swell of my heart. Trying not to think about the red bear, I continue around it until I see a group of some of the other students gathered around, making me pause before running out and continuing my way to the dormitories. Why? Because I see Rantaro, Shuichi, Kiibo and Tenko all standing in front of those big wood doors with yellow and red writing on it.

 _What are those four doing? What a strange sight- Tenko with a trio of boys? ...I can't hear what they're talking about. Maybe I can get a little closer?_

I carefully scout the rest of the area, skipping on my tiptoes quickly to get to the yellow accented Exisal on autopilot- which is substantially closer to the group. The Exisal is loud and not exactly safe to be so close to one on autopilot, but I can at least make out a few things they say.

"...might work for this here, the hexagon matches the crank. Monokuma _did_ say we might find her if we open some of the new paths," Kiibo states, followed by the sound of Shuichi's awkward chuckle.

"Uh, I know Monokuma said that, but...I don't know. He might have only said that so we'd open these places up. I just fail to see how Prairie would be able to get into this place if she didn't have this key," Shuichi explains, making Tenko huff irritably enough for everyone's attention to fall on her. Shuichi winces, taking a step back from her.

"Typical of a degenerate _men_ ace! Underestimating Perfect Blitz and her abilities," Tenko hisses, making a scrunched up wacky face. Shuichi holds out his hands, ready to protect himself if necessary.

"Shuichi, you see how this place is surrounded by a wall?" Rantaro inquires, prompting the reserved Ultimate Detective to look up curiously and nod with realization.

"Ah, right. Sometimes I forget someone as small and petite as her can climb crazy heights...she doesn't exactly strike me as the type. She's so... _moe."_

I almost feel a vein burst in my forehead.

" _Moe"? "Moe"..."_ _ **Moe**_ " _?!_

I puff up my cheeks and narrow my blue eyes on Shuichi dangerously. It isn't until he lets out a sharp yelp that I realize I've closed my eyes and am coming up from throwing a little rock, snapping them open in time to see Shuichi rubbing his uppermost left shoulder blade. Rantaro immediately whips around and I squeak, ducking behind the Exisal but not before Rantaro's green eyes lock onto me like a missile radar.

Peeking around the Exisal, my eyes meet his disapproving green ones again- and I don't bother ducking away entirely since I know I'm already in big trouble.

 _Run? Do I run? Do I wait for retribution?_

"Shuichi, you okay?" Rantaro inquires, making Shuichi pat at his shoulder and eventually hum in agreement.

"Yeah, it was just my shoulder, thankfully...where did…?" Shuichi inquires, before Rantaro garners his attention once again with, "Why don't you lead everyone ahead of me, I think I see a monokub back there. I'm gonna have a talk with it. You guys find Prairie if you can," Rantaro's voice is a dangerous calm that makes my stomach sink since his eyes remain lasered on me. Before Shuichi can catch sight of me, I duck behind the Exisal entirely once more.

"R-Right. Okay, we'll let you know if we...find her," Shuichi states, somehow making me bite my lip in guilt because I can tell he might have an idea _I'm_ the one back here that threw a rock- not a monokub like Rantaro tells him.

 _Run now?!_

I peek around the Exisal after hearing the sound of some large doors opening, feeling my heart jump to my throat with a squee when I see just how much closer Rantaro is to my location. Two things end up keeping me rooted in my place: one, I don't want anyone to see me in my tiny pajamas, and two, Rantaro is too close to outrun at this point.

Before I can buckle over and curl up to beg for mercy however…

Rantaro Amami reaches behind his neck and pulls off his shirt entirely.

One moment my face is completely on fire in sheer disbelief- and the next I find myself staring at the upside down landscape before I can see the upside down dorm rooms in the dormitory, prompting me to lift my head and wriggle to get away from Rantaro who is carrying me despite his shirtless state.

"Stop, _stop._ I'll put you down," he states firmly, making me freeze as he lets me down carefully on my feet and puts his hands on his hips. He's shirtless, but he's not carrying his shirt anymore. Where…?

I feel like I'm wearing something heavier than my small airy pajamas, making me glance down to find that _I'm_ the one wearing his shirt now. It's better than my small pajamas, yeah, but…

"So now you're throwing _rocks_ at people, Prairie?" Rantaro asks sternly, calling my attention back to where he is standing without a shirt. Just like that my brain short circuits again as my eyes scan his form, and rather than giving him a coherent answer…

"Sorry for rocky abs!" I blurt out, only to replay my words in my head when Rantaro's expression slightly twitches. I direct my attention momentarily to recompose myself before trying again with, "Sorry for hot abs! _Ack!"_

My face is on fire yet again, but with no escape I end up pulling the collar of Rantaro's cologne scented shirt over my red face and head to hide from him with a squeak of utter shame.

 _Way to let him know what you were thinking about,_ _ **dummy!**_

"Okay, fine, we'll deal with that later. Prairie, enlighten me instead on why you're running around in pajamas as indecent as those. I get the cosplay Tsumugi gave you yesterday is difficult to put on alone, but you can't substitute clothes for what you have on right now," Rantaro informs me, making me whine under his shirt.

"I-I came out last night since I couldn't sleep and accidentally passed out in the game room…" I explain my case in embarrassment, already knowing he definitely won't take that excuse. My cheeks get warmer even though I can't currently see him. "I didn't mean to…! I'm sorry!"

Rantaro is silent for a moment, as if thinking about what to say or do next. All I can do is stay hidden in the shirt he's lent me in the meantime, making a grand effort to not think about the fact that _his_ shirt used to be on _that_ torso of his. With his stupid vest in the first resets and this loose shirt of his, I wouldn't have thought he looked so fit under his clothes, but I guess it's expected from the Ultimate Adventurer. Now my brain remains affixed on the memory of his stupid abdominals like a moth to a light bulb.

"And are you sorry you threw a rock at Shuichi?" Rantaro asks next, making me tune back into reality to nod under the shirt.

"I'm sorry…but…" I finally peek out from the shirt to look up at Rantaro. "I'm...I'm not _moe._ "

To my annoyance, Rantaro crosses his arms and presses one hand over his mouth likely to hide a smile. He doesn't say anything, making me frown up at him. Don't tell me he agrees with Shuichi!

"I don't know that…" He openly admits, making me puff up my cheeks in disapproval. He smiles more, finally reaching over to rub my head until I growl and shift away from his touch.

"S-Stop it...I'm not moe," I repeat in a huff, shrinking back a little when he reaches over to take my hand.

"Right, sure. Come on, let's see if Kirumi is in her room to help dress you. I sent her here ahead of time so we can start opening up the other places around the school," Rantaro says, making me blink as he leads me towards Kirumi's room.

"'Opening up the other places'?" I ask, watching him ring Kirumi's buzzer and look back at me with an expression of resignation.

"You'll see, don't worry. Just focus on dressing and we'll explain on the way," he says just as the doors open to reveal Kirumi.

"Ah, you found her. Very well, I'll help you dress then, Prairie…" Kirumi pauses and then looks at Rantaro, resisting a bit of a smile as she promptly continues with, "Rantaro, do I need to help you dress also?"

Just that reminder is enough for me to wrangle Rantaro's shirt off and throw it at his face, causing him to jump a little in surprise as I grab Kirumi's hand and lead her up the stairs to my room quickly. For wearing heels, she keeps up pretty well.

" _Opening up the other places"...Is the school bigger than we thought? Hmm...come to think of it, the school definitely has way more floors that I haven't seen a staircase to, and going by the shape, there's parts of the first floor that could hold extra space. Maybe that's what he means. The school is accessible to other parts._

 _I guess there's also that "Avarita" and misspelled "Luxuria" doors in question too…_

"Prairie, are you feeling unwell? You're awfully red in the face...perhaps you'd rather stay in if you're feeling under the weather?" Kirumi suggests as I close my room door behind her, only reminding me of _why_ I'm red and making me whine as I cover my face with my hair. This seems to make it click for her, and she chuckles a little. "Oh, is it perhaps due to Rantaro?"

I peek up at her from between the locks of my curls.

"H-Have you seen his stupid face? Kirumi…" I start, feeling extremely embarrassed that I have to admit this to someone else. As if saying it to Kaede, Kokichi, and stupid Rantaro himself wasn't enough...at this point, everyone already knows anyways, Kokichi wasn't exactly subtle after Rantaro chased me into the warehouse yesterday. "He's too... _good looking._ It's horrible! His face was bad enough, did you see those abs?! They're like a washboard! And his stupid biceps! And-!"

"Prairie, please calm down for a moment, you're getting worked up and you're much more flushed now than before, I don't want you to-"

I blink to find myself on the floor with Kirumi looking down at me, my head resting on her lap as she waits for me to recuperate. Seeing me blink up at her, she hums in thought with a calculating frown.

"I've never seen a case of severe swooning quite like this. Not to the point of fainting in succession and not from simply a thought...Prairie, do you recall any allergies or conditions you might have? Perhaps one related to hormone changes?" Kirumi asks curiously, only managing to get a head shake of mild confusion from me as I sit up to find that I'm already entirely dressed in the 2B cosplay. Wow, Kirumi works fast...she really is the Ultimate Maid. "If only you hadn't acquired amnesia. This kind of fainting you're experiencing isn't normal and I'm truly concerned. I've seen it portrayed in anime and television as comedic relief, but it isn't something reflected in people outside of fiction."

 _Eh? ...Kirumi watches anime then?_

She ponders it for a moment longer before getting back on her feet, helping me up as well and keeping a grip on my arm when my balance wobbles a bit.

"Let's be on our way in that case…" Kirumi concludes our chat, smiling and leading me out by my hand so I don't fall over or lose my balance- especially with the heels I'm now wearing.

As we exit my room, Rantaro straightens up and turns from where he'd been resting against the railing off the second floor of the dormitories. As soon as Kirumi's eyes land on him, she clears her throat and Rantaro's smile dims slightly under her stern look.

"Rantaro. Please make an effort to keep your shirt _on_ around Prairie, regardless of the circumstances. You're already aware of how sensitive she is around boys- especially _you_ in particular," Kirumi scolds Rantaro, who blushes himself with a sheepish laugh and rubs the back of his neck as he casts a curious glance my way. I can't even hold eye contact with him, instead choosing to whine and cover my red face with my hair.

 _I shouldn't have said anything to Kirumi! This is as bad as the guys tend to be…! Where is her filter? Why am I being embarrassed like this? What did I do wrong?!_

"Ah, you're right, I'll remember that for the future, Kirumi...but did something happ-" Rantaro begins, making me remove my hands from my hair covered face to grab Rantaro's hand along with Kirumi's.

"Nothing happened, stop being so nosy," I huff defensively, shutting Rantaro down and eventually releasing his and Kirumi's hand on our way out of the dormitories.

We make our way through the courtyard, my eyes shifting around when I realize there's a change outside that I didn't actually notice since I was so busy freaking out over being in my small pajamas earlier. A lot of the grass has been trimmed down, and some of the construction areas have been completed from what I can see. Wow, they've been working on it for days already, I almost thought they were just idle and there for appearances rather than for actual utility.

Once we reach the walled area where I'd originally spotted Rantaro and Shuichi with Kiibo and Tenko, we pause. The doors are open, but I still don't know how they got them open. They said something about a hexagon and a crank though, so I guess that's that.

"Monokuma gave us for items to use around the school. One of them, a hand crank, we figured worked for this wall. We didn't want to go using them just yet after we had breakfast since you weren't around, but Monokuma said we might find you if we went opening up places. Looking here was my suggestion since you love climbing so much," Rantaro explains with a bit of a smile my way as the three of us glance up the wall. Eventually, I start walking in without waiting for them.

 _These new areas might hold new possibilities to get us out of here. There's no time to waste!_

"Prairie, wait! Don't run off ahead on your own," I hear Rantaro call from a couple of yards behind me upon noticing. I stop as I reach a split in the path, eyeing the shallow and decorative clear water surrounding two short walkways. Just seeing the buildings makes my eyes squint and my brow knit together as I re-read the large lit up logos on the buildings to make sure I'm not seeing things.

One of them says " _Casino"_ and the other…

"Hotel Kuma...sutra," I read out loud, cocking my head slightly to the side as Kirumi and Rantaro stop on either side of me- only for Rantaro to then quickly follow me with a hum of annoyance when I speed on over to the more curious of the two buildings- the Kumasutra hotel.

 _Going by how "Avarita" means avarice and how "Luxuria" means lust...I can only imagine the hotel is related to the luxuria portion of the door._

"...'Rest twenty-five dollars for two guests… two hours'. 'Overnight forty-five dollars'. Huh. What's even the point of a hotel here? We already have our own rooms and everything," I question vocally, easily skirting past Rantaro's attempt to catch my arm and hurrying past him to where I see Kirumi already heading into the casino curiously. Mostly though, there's no way I'm letting Rantaro hold my hand after what happened before.

"Prairie, will you _please_ stop running?" I hear him ask, frustration clear in his voice.

I can still barely look at him, so that's a 'no' from me.

Inside the casino, since I know Rantaro will likely reach for my hand if I stop moving, I hurry in and quickly commit the first floor of the casino to memory. There's a pair of desks, one reading "Exchange: Reception Desk". Between the two desks is a prize machine- obviously nothing new to study. If anything, the prizes in that thing are probably more or less as useless as the items in the monomachine...save for the nectarine prize, of course.

There's a set of stairs I quickly round towards and hurry down, ignoring Rantaro's vexed grunt of pain as he clumsily bumps into the Casino Entrance archway leading down to the basement level. I can't help but look back and giggle as he rubs his shoulder and promptly looks my way with a bit of a dark smile.

"Oh, is that funny to you? Now you're gonna get it," Rantaro warns as my feet hit the basement floor of the casino, which is bathed in a blue light as a result of all the casino slot machines and games.

"Ah, Prairie! Welcome to the party! Hey, what do you think?! Look what I won!" The sound of Kaito Momota's voice makes me turn my attention away from Rantaro, enough that the green haired teen suddenly sprints down the stairs midst my minor distraction. As soon as I realize my mistake though, he closes the distance when I turn back to look at him.

Too late. He's already in front of me.

" _Gotcha!"_ He announces, making me squeal and burst into laughter when he grabs my sides and starts tickling me. I fail to squirm away, collapsing to the floor at his mercy. "Say you're sorry and I'll spare you," Rantaro chuckles as he pokes my sides from every which angle, effortlessly bypassing my every attempt to stop his assault until I give in.

"I'm _sorry!"_ I squeak around my breathless laughter, Rantaro pausing and allowing me to squirm away until I'm on my feet where I bravely add, "I'm _sorry_ you're such a clumsy tower…"

Rantaro isn't far away enough to outrun though, and I only make it one step away before he lunges so I'm vainly struggling against his tickles and pokes once more. At that point, I apologize for real and mean it.

"Haha! You two are funny, right, Shuichi?" Kaito asks, finally prompting Rantaro and I to look up so we finally focus on the pile- no, _mountain_ \- of coins by Kaito and a sheepish looking Shuichi Saihara we didn't even notice was around. Kirumi is also among us, stepping up beside us and reaching down with a hand extended to me. I take her hand, letting her help me up as Rantaro stands up on his own so we can look at the pile of Kaito's winnings.

"You won all this by yourself?" I ask in surprise, walking over and picking up one coin. It's not the same as the monocoins Monokid gave me. Seems like these coins are only worth anything in this particular building.

"You're not gonna believe it, but he won this with only one coin," Shuichi speaks up with a smile, shrugging in mild disbelief even though it seems he was around when Kaito won the jackpot. "Just one go and it spat out all this."

"Hehe! As expected, my intuition's pretty damn good! Well, it should be, since I'm gonna reach the stars and all," Kaito haughtily claims with a sniff of pride, making me bite my lip to resist a grin. I'll bet _my_ intuition is a dozen times better than his. "You can go ahead and keep that coin, Prairie! Maybe you'll hit a jackpot too!" Kaito picks up a coin and flips it in Rantaro's direction. "Aaand one for you too!"

Rantaro easily snatches it from the air, a helpless laugh escaping him. "Thanks, Kaito."

 _Jeez, Kaito's tossing free coins like a rich man gives out one hundred dollar bills…I guess that's what happens when you win the lottery. I think he's taking his win too seriously, it's not like he's going to get real money out of all of this...not to mention, the prizes for these coins are probably lame._

"You're incredible, darling! Your luck is so good, I think I'm falling for you!"

That voice, as goofy and cartoony as it's always been, makes me whirl around and narrow my eyes viciously at the new figure as everyone else jumps in surprise. Before I can pull my leg back and kick that stupid grinning monochromatic bear, Rantaro snatches me up again- this time not for the purpose of playing around like before. He drags me back a few feet, pinning my arms to my sides so I'm unable to squirm my way out of his grip.

"Don't just appear out of nowhere like that!" Kaito objects, relaxing just slightly.

"'Darling'...?" Shuichi questions under his breath, joining Rantaro and I where I'm struggling to get away from the idiot preventing me from teaching Monokuma a lesson. Upon seeing my efforts, Shuichi casts Rantaro a sympathetic look. I can only wonder the expression Rantaro has on his face since I'm totally mad-dogging Monokuma.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I was just so attracted to your luck, darling! Those are some impressive earnings, you know? With this many coins, you can trade them all in for some luxurious goods!" Monokuma continues, pretty much ignoring my rabid struggles and growling as I try to push away from Rantaro. If anything, Monokuma's dismissal and indifference only makes me angrier inside.

 _This stupid bear has the audacity to show his face after what he did to Kaede and Monotaro...I'm gonna rip him apart!_

"Prairie, that's _enough,"_ Rantaro suddenly hisses by my ear lowly and snappily, enough that I wince at his harsh tone and stop wriggling when I notice the fierce look he's giving me over my shoulder. Despite me calming down from the chastisement, he doesn't loosen his grip or drop his guard. Monokuma on the other hand continues to ignore us, and I scowl even though I know Rantaro won't let me go ballistic on him.

"Hey, this is just between those among us, okay...? If you manage to earn just a few more coins, you'll be able to get your hands on the best prize this place has to offer!" Monokuma hints with a slight purr, making my scowl deepen if possible. Is this stupid bear trying to egg Kaito on to throw more coins to the casino machines? Jeez, what idiot would go along with that?

Of course, it's clear I don't know Kaito at all. One would think they'd have an idea that he's responsible and _not_ gullible based on his ultimate talent and how he behaves, but reality has another thing coming.

Turns out the Ultimate Astronaut...is kind of thick in the skull.

"Heh! Hearing that, there's no way I can just leave things the way they are!" Kaito exclaims, visibly fired up and straightening up in his seat as he cracks his knuckles for the challenge.

I blink and look back at the other three, wondering if I've just stepped into the twilight zone.

"Is he joking?" I ask, clearly flabbergasted and no longer fired up inside from Monokuma's presence. "He knows Monokuma's only baiting him, right?"

Rantaro makes a funny face, like he too has realized he may have pegged Kaito to be smarter than he actually is. At that, I snicker a little behind a hand.

"But...Kaito, he said that with all the coins you have right now, you can still exchange them for luxury items…" Shuichi speaks up weakly, clearly sensing Kaito is _dead_ serious and making a valiant attempt to dissuade him from a big mistake. Of course, Kaito simply waves him off with a jolly grin of pride as he picks a coin from the gold mountain beside him.

"The hell are you sayin'?! I couldn't call myself a man if I backed down from a challenge here! Besides, I'm still gonna reach space, so there's no way my intuition would tell me wrong!" Kaito exclaims, throwing a coin in the machine so it lights up and rolls the slots.

"Oh my! That's so manly of you, darling!" Monokuma chirps flamboyantly, only fueling Kaito's vigor if even possible. Either way, Kaito is at the mercy of his lack of self control and it's impossible to pull my eyes away from what I can already tell will end in dismay.

…

Poor Kaito. Having burnt halfway through his coins, Rantaro finally relaxes his grip on me, enough that I've fished my arms out and have started playing with his rings and bracelets. To watch a person's sad downfall from glory...even Rantaro and Kirumi look on with unique varying expressions of pity.

"Ah?! Dammit! How could I lose again!" Kaito shouts, slamming a fist against the side of of the slot machine in a rhythm and then gently dragging his fingers over the front of it like it's some kind of good-luck ritual. It's rather pitifully amusing to see him do that all the time and expect a different outcome…

"Perhaps now is a good time to stop?" Kirumi suggests, followed by Monokuma's annoying input of, "What's wrong, darling? You're down to half your coins! Maybe you should listen to your friend and call it quits now…"

"Yeah, I got half of them left! Startin' now, I'm gonna earn everything back in one go, you know!" Kaito shouts, looking frazzled and desperate for the most part. "Just you watch!"

Kirumi sighs in unison with me, until I feel Rantaro's hand twitch against mine as I clutch it gently.

"...I don't think he's gonna win anything back," I say, tilting my head to look up at Rantaro. "Gambling is scary."

Rantaro chuckles at my input and we look back at Kaito, strangely affixed on his predicament. Coin after coin they go, disappearing into the machine followed by the pulling of the slot lever and the jingle as the slots roll. Not even once does Kaito win anything back though. Not a single coin...and at that point, he eventually comes down to his last coin, holding it before him with a sweat glistening on his brow.

Again, the coins are NOT that valuable, so I don't understand the intensity of his obsession to earn so many coins- it's not like he's a dragon from Middle Earth trying to hoard the stuff. What could Monokuma possibly give that would warrant such value to the coins anyways?

"Th-This is...the last coin!" Kaito states, as if the rest of us didn't notice the disappearance of his coin mountain in the first place. He's totally delusional...poor guy.

The rest of us are quiet on our end and I clutch Rantaro's hand tighter. Can Kaito do it though? Somehow I doubt it, but I can't help but keep a string of hope lingering in my heart.

"Don't get your hopes up, trust me," Rantaro murmurs by my ear in amusement, as if having read my mind simply by looking at my face. Slightly embarrassed, I look up at him and give him a small smile.

"I know, but still...maybe he'll get lucky?" I suggest, only for Rantaro to brush my hair back as we look back at Kaito on his last legs.

Kaito swallows thickly, eyes narrowed on the coin slot before he throws his final coin into the machine. "This is... _IIITTTTT!"_

He pulls the lever.

I'd like to say he won the jackpot again, reverting the Ultimate Astronaut back to his former glory...but as I watch the slot panels slow to a stop in tune with the jingle…

I loosen my grip on Rantaro's hand, which had tightened prior to the last run of the slot machine. Kaito gapes at the results as it greedily reclaims his last coin, prompting a sigh from both Rantaro and Shuichi.

"Too bad!" Monokuma laughs, promptly dropping whatever character he'd been playing to tempt Kaito to keep throwing his coins into the slot machine. "Your intuition was _waay_ off! Puhuhu~! Wow, watching suckers falling into ruin is so much fun!" Monokuma giggles wildly, finally looking back to eye me with a wide grin.

My blood turns to fire at that. _Now_ he chooses to acknowledge me? Is he implying something with that comment towards me and my goals to fight the killing game?

I push Rantaro's arms off of me after snatching his coin from his grip. He reaches to pull me back until he realizes I'm not making a beeline for Monokuma, walking over to Kaito's side instead. Once I'm next to him, I throw both coins into the slot machine in front of him and the slot machine to his left, placing my hand on the two levers.

 _If Monokuma thinks he can throw shade on me, he's got another thing coming. With my intuition, he's going to regret underestimating me this much. I'll_ _ **make him**_ _regret it. For now though, wiping that pathetic snarky grin off his face will just have to suffice as my comeback!_

I close my eyes after staring at the pace of the running slots on each machine. I can hear Kaito try and dissuade me from my actions, which I must admit is pretty funny. The poor sod is totally spent from gambling his jackpot away.

"Prairie, don't be like me! Dammit, I'm fucked…! If only I had stopped back then…!"

Typical of a gambling addict…when 'just one more coin and I'll win it all back' becomes the mantra in their descent to despair. Kaito dug a pit for himself, and just kept digging with reckless abandon. "I'm finished! No more gambling for me! From now on, I'm only making bets!"

 _Deeper and deeper Kaito digs his pit…_

...Now.

I pull the two levers at the same time and move back so I'm not totally invading Kaito's personal space, watching the slots in the two slot machines come to a series of stops before-

" _JACKPOT~! JACKPOT~! JACKPOT~! JACKPOT~!"_ The two machines blare in slight unison, alarms ringing wildly as Kaito turns his head to look up and gape at me.

"Two machines…? At the _same time?!"_ I hear Shuichi question, just as Kaito turns and grabs my hands suddenly so I'm forced to face him when he jumps out of his seat much too close to me in _my_ personal space. A squeak of surprise escapes me as my cheeks dust red when I realize how much he towers over me from our proximity, prompting my back to straighten up uncomfortably. Kaito doesn't even notice, falling to his knees and looking up at me as I try to back away and pull my hands from his iron grip.

"How?! Are you secretly a two-talent girl, Prairie? Are you also the Ultimate _Gambler_?! What's your secret?! How long do you wait for the slots to run? What do I listen out for?! Tell me, Prairie, _I need to know!"_ Kaito drills me until Rantaro comes by and lifts me away despite Kaito's desperate questions as he collapses behind us, the dual flood of coins spilling out to bury Kaito under the mountains of gold under his unmoving body of sheer defeat.

 _I did this to get at Monokuma, not to challenge Kaito..._

"You guys go on ahead. I will offer comfort to Kaito in his time of need," Kirumi says to us with a pleasant smile, making Shuichi and Rantaro nod as I'm set back down on my feet. Rantaro takes my hand and starts pulling me along with Shuichi as I glance back at Monokuma curiously only to realize he's barely smiling at all now, glaring at me with clear malicious intent likely from that little show I gave using my intuition.

Knowing he can't do anything at the moment at least, especially since it wasn't on the list of rules…

My lips curl into a grin and Monokuma's face seems to turn red with rage.

 _Good. I'm glad you hate me._

 _ **E nd of 3.2 - Comeback**_


	32. 3:3 - Not A Child

_**3.3 - Not A Child**_

"Where are we going now?" I ask curiously, stopping by a rock engraved with writing and what looks to be a paw print at the top. Shuichi walks up to it too, Rantaro hovering behind us and looking in another direction to examine our surroundings.

"Ah! You found her!" Kiibo's voice catches our attention as he pushes around a giant clump of vines, so many that he looks like he's practically being swallowed up by them.

"Kiibo and Tenko went ahead to inspect the place after Kaito came to the casino. I figured it would move things along faster to send them off, but..." Shuichi trails off, not bothering to continue his statement. I'm sure we're all thinking it though- doesn't seem like these two have discovered anything integral.

"Prairie!" I register Tenko's voice only moments before I'm yanked into a warm hug, squeezing a smile out of me when I spot one of her familiar chain-link pigtails waving around her body as she swings me lightly. "We were looking _everywhere_ for you! When that short little _degenerate male_ broke into your room- with my supervision of course- we thought the worst! That Monokuma even kept saying he probably had you tied up behind a wall!"

 _Stupid bear...! Making them all believe I was locked away like some kind of damsel in distress!_

"N-No, I couldn't sleep last night and went to the game room to make myself tired. I guess it worked sooner than I expected. I sorta knocked out right by one of the arcade machines after I demolished Rat Face's high scores," I explain, still somewhat proud of the overkill I delivered to Kokichi in _Galaga._

"Er- as much as I love hearing about Kokichi being put in his place, does anyone have any suggestions on where we should look next? I don't see any clues for an item needing to be used here, so it might be a dead end," Kiibo states as Tenko beams and pats my head proudly.

"What are the other items?" I ask curiously, prompting Shuichi to jump a little before fumbling to pull out three useless looking items that makes me frown when something familiar about the sight of one object tickles my memories, specifically a yellow-gold ocarina. At my expression and the way my eyes flick to the stone tablet a few feet away, everyone glances towards it.

"That's what we figured might take an item, but there's nowhere to put anything. We don't have a paw print shaped item either," Kiibo states, crossing his arms as I reach for the ocarina and walk over to the tablet anyways as I give it a contemplating look.

"...oh!" Shuichi suddenly seems to realize, smiling when I look back at him with a grin.

"Hm?" Rantaro queries curiously, looking from me to Shuichi and back with a quirk of the corner of his lips like he wants to smile. "What? Did you two figure it out?"

"Ha! Of course Perfect Blitz figures it out before you degenerate males!" Tenko preens, crossing her arms proudly while Kiibo fidgets to the side mumbling, "Well, you didn't figure it out yet either..."

Good thing Tenko doesn't seem to hear him.

"I'll let Prairie take care of it," Shuichi says, watching as I bring the ocarina to my lips. I play an interval of six notes before continuing the musical piece, one which I can't really pinpoint in my memories but I'm sure I know.

The vines Kiibo had been toying with earlier immediately recede- not into somewhere or anything though. They pretty much just fall and wither away instantly, making me yank the ocarina from my lips. They're gone...? Just like that?

"That's some impressive technology to make the ivy wither away like that," Kiibo openly admits as I stand there quietly, looking at the rock tablet in mild confusion. "It's just gone in an instant!"

I don't even acknowledge that I've heard him, allowing the conversation to continue behind me as my hands fall to my sides with the ocarina in thought.

 _I know everything is advanced here. This isn't anything new- we have impossible robots, impossible AI's, impossible memory erasing flashlights...except-_ ** _how?_** _I don't know about any technology like this, do I? Did I forget because of my amnesia? The others don't seem all too surprised, and one of them_ ** _is_** _an impossible being. Maybe it's just...?_

"Prairie, are you okay?" Rantaro catches my attention, a hand resting on my shoulder to snap me out of my thoughts. I turn my head to look back at him- my worries at the tip of my tongue to clue him in like second nature. Thankfully, the sound of the familiar monokubs and their greeting immediately cuts me off before I can say anything.

The moment his attention is away from me, I frown and avert my gaze to my feet. Now that I'm thinking about it, I know the troubles he gave me when I told the truth before. Would it be wise to tell him the truth about _anything_ now?

...

"It's not dangerous! There's a pool in there, that's all~" Monophanie speaks up, and for once I'm actually happy to have had her butting into our conversation. She looks at us before eventually "noticing" me with a gasp. "Oh! Just don't let _Ugly_ near the pool. She might contaminate the water with something awful!"

Rantaro sighs in annoyance. "Every opportunity, huh, Monophanie?" He asks in a more or less rhetorical question that causes Monophanie to suddenly stiffen up. I can see her little legs quivering a bit, pink and white face reddening to a surprising amount despite being mechanical.

"H-He said my name...!" Monophanie actually swoons as she says this, prompting my eyebrow to twitch erratically at her behavior. I'm getting very close to throwing this ocarina right at her face. Jealousy? No way. I'm the one Rantaro pays attention to anyways, so _ha!_

...wait. That's nothing to brag about. I don't even like Rantaro paying attention to me, he's like an overbearing tick!

"I-I mean...I can try to be better...for you..." Monophanie trails off in an admittedly cute manner, shuffling to her feet and playing with her paws as if she's a school girl.

"What's so special 'bout _him?"_ I hear Monosuke quit, reminding me that it's not just Monophanie here, but the other three monokubs as well.

At this slow realization, my eyes search immediately for the blue and white dual toned kub, but when I find him...

He turns the other way.

Two feelings become apparent as a result of this discovery. For one, I'm happy. It's not an ideal result for us Ultimates in this situation, but having Monokid and Monotaro as honest gophers had been useful for at least the two times we met up and spoke of the happenings here. However, now that we know what will happen if there is a traitor on Monokuma's side, Monokid stepping away from our side is good. It's good for Monokid himself, at least.

This way he won't end up like Monotaro did.

Although I'm happy he'll be safe, I am admittedly sad about his reaction though. Is this a sign that he doesn't trust me anymore? Does he blame me for Monotaro's death like I originally thought?

 _No, I don't want to think about that. I don't want to know, I'm just happy he won't be killed like Monotaro...for now. That's all I can ask for in this hellscape. First and foremost to secure his safety, I need to find a way out of here._

"Hey, What were you even saying just now, you pink leech? Prairie would totally _purify_ any water sources she comes in contact with! She could sell her bathwater for millions of yen!" Tenko exclaims, completely erasing all of my concerns for the moment as my brain pauses and rewinds to replay exactly what's come out of her mouth. I rip my gaze off of Monokid's back to look at her in disbelief.

My _bathwater?!_ Who would do that?!

I look up at Rantaro, wincing at the downright displeased expression on his face. Clearly it wasn't just me that thinks that's a bit of a stretch.

"L-Let's just go in already. We still have other places to look through," I speak up before Monophanie can object with another rude comment. She gets along with Tenko as well as she gets along with me.

"I agree! As long as it's not dangerous, it's best we examine our surroundings thoroughly. There's no such thing as having too much information, after all," Kiibo states, following right behind me when I move out from under Rantaro's hold on my shoulder to traverse into the building. Figures it would be a pool, we could have guessed it from just the billboard of the water and dolphin above the entrance after all.

I can hear Rantaro let out a sigh of mild exasperation when I escape him once again, following after Kiibo and I with Tenko and Shuichi behind him and the monokubs tailing us.

Once we're inside, Kiibo continues towards the edge of the pool while I pause a few steps behind momentarily at the sight of the water. By the time everyone else is inside, I manage to puck up the courage to join Kiibo by the edge and give the water a frown.

 _Such shallow water...who would be able to swim in this poor excuse for a pool?_

"Ooh! Look at that, Ugly! It's perfect for your size, a _kiddie_ pool!" Monosuke comments, pulling on a nerve I'm sure he spotted a mile away considering how I've been pretty vocal about what I dislike about being treated like a child.

"Excuse me?" I demand, turning a dark gaze towards Monosuke who jumps a little at my sudden and unexpected attention on him. Before either me or the yellow kub with the smart mouth can say anything though, Tenko jumps to my side to take my hand in hers. Probably not a good idea right now, but she seems unafraid as I turn my look her way.

"That's okay! If you can't swim, I mean. I can't swim either, it's nothing to be ashamed about!" Tenko tries to comfort me to my irritation.

 _Why don't they get it? Did this little standard of 'everyone baby Prairie-wee-Marble' result from Rantaro's behavior, or am I really so childish looking and "moe" that it's a reaction these idiots can't help?_

Hating the feeling of Tenko trying to come to my aid as if I need consoling, I promptly snatch my hand out of hers and turn away to cross my arms as I hold my tongue. To ensure I won't lash out, I take a few steps away from her quickly and pretend I don't see the flicker of hurt that makes itself known in her hazel eyes by my reaction. Honestly though, I'm sure it would be much worse if I really opened my mouth and told her to put a cork in it with her misguided sympathies.

Prairie is a ticking time bomb right now, and she's guaranteed ready to blow at any moment.

"Ha! What's wrong, Ugly, no tantrum outbreak like usual? You look like you need a juice box~!" I hear Monosuke pile on, making my head spin a little from just how angry I am. It's not even because of the attempt at saying these sort of things- it's that what comes out of his mouth is literally just a dramaticized version of how everyone treats me here.

I took down an Exisal alone and saved Kaito from being killed early on. I climbed a giant wall to learn an extra secret of this cage we're trapped in, which is only a cage inside of a cage. What _more_ do I need to do before they see me to be at their level? What am I supposed to do that will make them realize I'm perfectly capable of whatever they are- and _more_ at that. Is that arrogant? It sounds like it and I've asked myself that before...however, maybe I wouldn't have to tell myself arrogant things like that if Rantaro and the others didn't always make me feel like I'm infantile or in need of 'hand holding'.

 _Calm down. Control that temper and just...walk away. Show them you're the one in control, even if it hurts._

"Sorry, Tenko," I say after a second, turning to face the Ultimate Aikido Master after mentally stabilizing my rampant emotions. "I know you mean well and I don't mean to be rude by taking out my anger on you."

Tenko doesn't seem surprised, rather smiling as a result of my apology in what appears to be relief and embarrassment.

"No, no, don't apologize! I didn't mean for it to seem like I was looking down on you or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I know you can already do incredible things, after all!" Tenko explains, managing to somewhat placate my anger towards her slightly. I can't tell if her words are genuine to how she really feels, but I guess it suffices for now.

I hear Kiibo breathe a sigh of relief from where he is, like he'd been holding his breath despite being a robot. "For a moment there, I almost thought there was going to be another explosive reaction...! Good on you for controlling your temper, Prairie! That was very mature of you!" Kiibo praises me.

All of a sudden, I feel sick again, but I force myself to just ignore him and bite down on my tongue harder. As if I need him to praise me and confirm I'm doing something 'mature' when I can tell the difference by myself. Does he want to give me a gold star and a lollipop for my good behavior while he's at it too?

"Are you guys sure about that? Ugly and mature don't belong in the same sentence at all. How sure are you of her age anyways? Our records aren't _that_ accurate. She could be twelve for all we know-!" I hear Monophanie start to speak innocently, only to see Tenko's expression twitch slightly before she kicks back with a leg and knocks the pink bear back a few feet to most of the other teen's horror.

"Tenko-!" Rantaro objects, eyes flicking from me to her and back when I look his way. What, does he think she'll be a bad influence on me? Like I'll just pick up whatever I see like some kind of monkey? God, they really do act like I'm a toddler or something.

Monophanie growls as she jumps back to her feet, swatting Monosuke when he fails to hold back a snort of amusement at her expense.

"So RUDE! Whatever! Have fun with the ugly preschooler then while it lasts! Sooner than later, she's just gonna end up being one more little ugly stain in this place! _"_ Monophanie complains furiously, jumping angrily before bounding out of there without the other three Monokubs.

"Ahhh, look what you did, Ugly!" Monosuke complains as well, paws on his hips. "You got Monophanie all upset and fired up again! This is your fault for being so prepubescent!"

Monosuke bounds out of there, and with him goes Monokid, who doesn't spare a single glance back even as I watch him leave. In the end, all that's left is Monodam, and we all turn to look his way.

"..."

Eventually he too decides to leave, but not before making eye contact with me for a beat- enough that my nerves react a little and distract me from what had initially made me upset before. I'm not sure exactly what that look was supposed to mean, but I make sure to commit it to my memory before he disappears and leaves us on our own.

"You know what, I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm not really in the best of moods and I need to cool off by myself before I go exploding like the moe prepubescent I am," I state, surprising everyone when I suddenly make for a power walk towards the exit.

"Prair-?" I hear Rantaro start, until Shuichi unexpectedly scurries after me and blurts out, "Ah, can I actually speak to you outside really quick before you go? It'll be fast, I promise!"

I consider throwing him a rejection, but instead just give him a salty "fine" and lead him out so we can talk by the stone tablet. Of course, I notice Rantaro peer around exit of the building with the other two curious Ultimates and have to hold in another rush of irritation. Are they watching to make sure I don't potentially go ballistic on Shuichi?

 _It seems that everything I do needs to be monitored, according to them._

Once we've stopped, I turn to face Shuichi and narrow my eyes up at him to remind him I'm not likely to be so nice with the current mood I'm in. At this notice, he swallows but visibly steels himself for what he's about to say.

"I'm very sorry for calling you moe earlier. I can see it upset you a lot, and I take it back entirely," Shuichi states, bowing in apology as I stare at him quietly. Does he even know _why_ it upset me so much?

"Why would it upset me?" I decide to ask, staring at him so intently that when he straightens up from his bow, he sort of shrinks back at my query. He's the Ultimate Detective, this should be a piece of cake for him.

"W-Why...? Well...you're not some anime character that should be categorized into a static archetype, you're a real person," he decides to go with. I conceal my frown poorly, because he winces. "Ah, t-that's not it, is it?"

With that, I put both hands on his shoulders and pull him down to my level a little, staring him in the face.

"Everyone has thrown it in my face and it's impossible to ignore. You just watched some of it right now, and somehow you don't even know. What's the point of apologizing if you don't even know what you're apologizing for? ...I don't need empty words, Shuichi. I need space," I carefully tell him, giving him a hug and then pulling away to leave him with that.

The hugging Shuichi part was a last minute idea that had formed in the back of my mind while we talked, and as soon as I'm completely out of their eyeshot, I hurry around to the main building of the school in a sprint easily achieved despite the heels on my feet. With a bit of a smirk on my face, I stop as I enter the main doorway...and pull out the two other items Shuichi had revealed to me, that being the red orb and the ema plaque.

 _Those dumb dweebs didn't even notice I picked Shuichi's pocket. I bet they would hate it...if I gave them to Kokichi._

Once I take a deep breath and calm the rush of jitters from my heinous act, one I know with a bitter taste in my mouth that Rantaro would call "childish", I continue my run until I reach the stone dragon I met Tsumugi at. To my delight and luck, Kokichi happens to be one of three people hovering near the statue, and despite my plan to find him I still stagger in my stride when he glances my way from the sound of my clicking heels.

Last time I saw him, I flipped him on his backside and played with fire by showing him my accuracy at knife throwing. With my stagger, I feel a horrifying chunk of my bravado drop like a rock in water.

"Ah! Look, Gonta! Prairie Dog decided to finally grace us with her presence! See, I _told_ you she wasn't lying dead in a pool of blood!" Kokichi brightly exclaims, waving at me in mock excitement...I think. Well, not that it matters. I don't need him to be excited to see me.

 _Forget shame. It's only a matter of time before Shuichi and the others find the items missing and realize what I did._

"Small Prairie! Gonta glad to see you safe! ...Hm? What Small Prairie have in hands?" Gonta inquires as he reaches up to adjust his glasses and get a better look at me upon my approach.

"Here you go," I comment, handing over the ema plaque to Kokichi without waiting for him to take it from me when I drop it in his arms and watch him fumble for a second with an amused smile. "Happy unbirthday."

I walk on over to the dragon statue and lift up the red gem I have, clamping it in the claws of the statue with little hesitation. There's a momentary rumble I can feel all the way down to my bones as the wall behind the statue shakes violently, followed by the sound of heels clicking behind me. Kirumi stops at my side, looking my way with a sigh when I keep my expression flat and determined. I'm guessing she can tell this is another one of my spats with Rantaro...but rather, it's more of a spat with everyone here that treats me like a kid.

She doesn't say anything else, and that much I appreciate when I shoot her a meaningful look midst taking off in a run ahead as the wall completely falls to reveal a hallway.

"Wait for meeee!"

I don't slow down, mostly because I know he can keep up. I stop and push open the first door I see, planning on doing the same thing I'd done to Rantaro at the casino- run through quickly and don't get caught so I can skip out when Rantaro and Shuichi get here.

Of course, I miscalculate Kokichi's speed and he crashes into me from behind far too soon for my liking, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up in the air with a laugh when I growl.

"Put me down, I'm in a hurry!" I demand, wriggling wildly when he swings me side to side with a thoughtful hum. "What? Is this how you treat someone that does something nice for you?"

"Something nice for me? Aw, come on, Prairie Dog. Don't pretend you got this item for _me._ What did Run-turdo do this time, hm?" He asks, setting me down and crossing his arms with a grin as he moves around me to stand in my way. "Doctor Oma is willing to fix all your ailments, even stress! You just have to open up to him a little bit~"

I give him a look, dubious even _before_ the 'Doctor Oma' bit.

"...It's not just Rantaro. It's everybody. They're pissing me off," I admit after a second, feeling my temper spike just a little. "But it doesn't matter, that's not important right now. I need to get in and be gone before Rantaro and Shuichi get here, or I'm gonna get another stupid punishment, like a 'time-out' or something."

I move around him to examine the room, which is an antique designed one that resembles something from Europe in the Elizabethan era. There's a Victorian styled dining table, a chandelier, and what looks to be human-sized puppets that make me raise a brow.

"Why would you get in trouble? Did you snatch the items straight out of Shuichi's hands like the little devil you are?" Kokichi inquires, making me tear my gaze away from the decor of the room to retort, "Of course not! I just...picked them from his pocket as payment for wasting my time to try and apologize with empty words."

"Ehh? Why? Don't you wanna get out of here? How do you plan on doing that without the magnificent power of _friendship?"_ Kokichi presses, easily making such a cheesy statement sound entirely natural with that bright and cheery tone of his. I resist losing my temper, simply scrunching up my expression in disbelief. At that face I make, Kokichi laughs a little under a hand like this is the usual fun and games. "Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one against the saccharine idea of working together the nice way."

"I thought that was obvious enough considering how everything serious I've done to get answers has been done alone. By myself. _Without_ a babysitter," I huff, walking towards a large closet and pushing it open. Inside are washing machines, dryers, cleaning supplies- everything room service should have access to...or in this case, Kirumi. This is obviously the Ultimate Maid's lab, but I can't help but feel a wave of relief inside me. With these here, I'll be able to wash my clothes the easy way rather than scrubbing them to hell and back in my shower.

"What a find! Washing machines. Perfect, get in one and I'll start it. After thirty minutes, maybe you'll have a good idea to really get us out of here, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi laughs, but rather than give him the time of my day, I simply jot the discoveries down in my mental notepad and turn to scurry out of the lab now that I'm done exploring it. "Hey, I'm coming too! You can't get away from this rat that easily!"

I'm not exactly aggravated at this point. Although Kokichi is undoubtedly annoying, he's at least not unbearable right now and that much I can appreciate since it honestly could be worse.

And of course as soon as I think that, it gets worse.

Kokichi catches my hand in his and I freeze, looking his way for an answer as to why he's decided to hold my hand. If it's because of what I _think_ it is, he's dead.

"Oh, I'm just making sure you don't get yourself into too much trouble! You know how you can be, Prairie Dog-"

Kokichi ducks just moments short of when I lurch forwards to punch him in the face, only for my gloved knuckles to fly towards the wall behind him. Just before I go shattering my knuckles or wrist, Kokichi grabs my wrist and forces it up so I hit air instead.

"Jeeeeez, Prairie Dog, I'm only _lying!_ Don't go hurting yourself, without you we're all screwed, remember?" Kokichi huffs with an annoyed grin, making me wring my hand away from him to take a step back. Is he making fun of me because he doubts someone small like me can be useful...?!

"Can you go away? And don't hold my hand, it's bugging me," I snap, turning to continue down the corridor at a faster pace. Kokichi is undeterred by my behavior as per usual, following quickly and trying to link arms with me even when I dodge his attempts multiple times. "Stop it!"

 _Gah! I should have just kept the last item on my own person, this little jerk doesn't deserve_ ** _anything_** _!_

"Kokichi, I may not want to murder you, but if you keep trying to get in my personal space, let's just say I know a few organs you can live without-! _Ack!_ You _rat!"_ I bark, grabbing his wrists myself to push him back...until he grabs on to me in turn and yanks me forward into him in a hug that makes me yelp when I crash into him.

"Hey, Prairie Dog, you know what's good about being cute like us?" Kokichi purrs, making the skin at my neck tickle from the feeling of his breath grazing it. It boils my blood, reminding me of that stupid prank he pulled on me about being stuck in the tall grass of the courtyard when he totally _wasn't._ I try to move back so I can maybe try punching him again, but he forces my arms behind me so I'm unable to retaliate. "Not only can we get away with a whole lot more, but just about everyone can't help but underestimate us."

I glare at him, moving my shoulders back enough to see him.

"How is _that_ any good? I don't like being underestimated, everyone is treating me like a baby," I growl, nonplussed by his claims. He's only saying that because he knows exactly what's bugging me and wants to aggravate me even more.

"You tell me. Do you think Shuichi would have approached you to apologize for who-knows-what if he even just _slightly_ suspected you might have the nerve to pick his pocket?"

I open my mouth to object...and then promptly close it after a beat in which Kokichi grins and raises a meaningful brow my way.

"Do you think Kaede would have tried to bash your skull in _after_ being caught with a shot-put ball if she thought you wouldn't be too scared to dodge?" He continues, saying Kaede's name with little remorse of sympathy. Clearly he doesn't like her for her attempted murder of someone, even if she failed. "You see how powerful we are? Because people underestimate us, whether they're willing to admit it or not, they automatically box us in a category beneath them, making it easier for us to pull a fast one on them if we need to. You can see the dynamic with Himiko and Tenko, to the point Himiko is always complaining about Tenko being too clingy about her desire to protect her."

Kokichi pauses, as if noticing something. There's a tingle at my cheeks and I was hoping I could hide it, but he grins and leans forward more despite me having leaned back enough already when he catches a weak point on my shell. My cheeks heat up entirely and I lean back more for space, only to squeak when I recline to the point I lose my footing and the only thing keeping me from falling becomes the stupid rat himself.

"Then again, that's Himiko we're talking about, she needs all the help she can get or she's gonna end up the next one murdered if you ask me," Kokichi casually puts, watching me with what I realize is a very calculating stare. He's examining my reaction...but to what? "...do you trust me, Prairie Dog? Aren't you afraid I might end up killing you?"

I give him a dry look and frown despite my flushed face.

"You're stupid."

Kokichi hums in understanding, laughing a little as he looks around us to see if anyone else is around to see us. Upon looking back my way, he doesn't appear to be critically analyzing me anymore. Instead, he just watches me quietly until I start to lightly struggle to go upright in such an awkward position. He's literally got me dipped as if we got halted in the middle of a dance, and the only thing I can do is toe the ground with the tip of my shoe since I'm being held up.

"Hey, you look a bit uncomfortable, are you okay?" he asks my blushing face, managing to look legitimately concerned even though the both of us know he's totally full of crap.

"Your face is gonna be a bit uncomfortable if you don't let me go right this-" I begin to say, teeth aching slightly from how hard I've been clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth.

 _"HEY!"_

Even the shout startles me, and to my dismay, Kokichi drops me just like I asked- right then and there on the cold dirty floor with a thump like a sack of potatoes. As my back and head hit the cement of the hallway floor, I let out a sharp cry of pain and immediately grab my head.

"Nishishi! You said let go right now," he purrs impudently as I sit up, shooting him a look just as I feel a pair of arms hook under mine to help me up on my feet. I catch sight of rings and bracelets and bite my tongue once I'm on both feet so I don't make the mistake of saying something that will only make me feel worse.

I do, however, pull away from Rantaro and cross my arms moodily once I have my space, avoiding his gaze more out of spite than guilt.

"Kokichi, what the hell were you trying to pull?" Rantaro instead whirls on Kokichi, mildly surprising me since I kept feeling like he was continuously targeting me when it came to problems between Kokichi and I. For a while there, I thought Rantaro was just excusing Kokichi's behavior.

"'What the hell was I' what? I didn't do nuthin'," Kokichi casually remarks, locking eyes with Rantaro in a direct unflinching stare as he makes a show of throwing the ema plaque up and watches Rantaro's eyes jump to it immediately. "Better keep up if you don't want me to be opening up all these secret school passages up all on my lonesome~"

With that, Kokichi spins around on his heel with a grin to continue exploring the new halls and rooms of the school.

"Prairie, are you okay?" If Kokichi was doing anything untoward or indecent..." Rantaro is dead serious, shifting to look from me to Kokichi again one more time.

"Don't worry, he was just getting in my personal space to press my buttons," I reassure him, resisting the urge to sigh at his concerns. Sure, it's nice he cares, but I'll give him a minute to switch gears and demand why I took the items from Shuichi.

Rather than Rantaro switching gears and straightening up to scold me, he unexpectedly relaxes in my presence and smiles sheepishly instead.

"I guess I owe you an apology then."

 _Huh? ...apology? For what?_

I give him a confused stare, prompting him to laugh awkwardly as he elaborates and runs a hand through his hair. For a minute I find myself admiring his genuine expression and stupidly handsome features in one of those rare moments when his guard is down, up until I notice he's gone quiet and snap out of my daze long enough to realize he's trying not to smile at my obvious state of admiration.

Shoot. I hate it when he notices! Also, he totally sucks at hiding smiles! I hate him.

"A-Apologize for what?" I ask in an effort to get the topic back on track so I can get some relief from the embarrassment.

"Hm? Oh." Seems like he almost forgot what we were talking about too. Is it even really important then? "I thought _you_ actually took the items off of Shuichi and I came here to talk to you about it, but I guess I jumped to conclusions."

 _He "came here to talk to me"...typical. Furthermore, he actually thinks I didn't take them simply because he saw Kokichi holding the ema plaque? Does Rantaro just assume Kokichi strolled on by while they weren't looking and picked Shuichi's pocket? He's definitely overestimating Kokichi's skills._

 _"Dumb,"_ I decide to just admit it, as him not knowing may make my life easier and let me escape a scolding for pick pocketing, but...if I go that route, he's not gonna learn anything! I gotta nudge him the right way so he figures it out, but I also don't want to hand him the truth like free candy either. If I just tell him, he'll do exactly what he did in the warehouse before when I told him to stop worrying about me. Steamroll right over my words like he knows what's best. "I did take them from Shuichi. And then I dumped the items in Kokichi's hands, because you know what the rest of you are? You're all idiots."

I can see the second my confession crushes all his hopes about me being civilized for once, but before he can begin to possibly chastise me, I turn and start heading on after Kokichi, stopping by him when I spot him near a chest placed conspicuously in plain sight in the hall.

"...think there's a dead body in there?" I smack Kokichi's shoulder at his comment, stepping forward midst his snickers to check it out before a hand catches my wrist and drags me back. I don't even have to look to know it's Rantaro ready to scold me.

Although as Kokichi turns and watches when we step aside from him, I face Rantaro and realize he looks way more concerned than actually angry or upset.

"Prairie, what's wrong? Talk to me, please," he asks, taking my hands until I yank them out of his grip.

"If I wanted to talk about it, I would have already said something!" I object, taking a small step away from him. "Don't you think we have more important things to worry about right now? Just chastise me again like you always do and get it over with already so we can keep looking around."

The surprise on Rantaro's face is only present for a moment, as it soon contorts to mild annoyance. Oh, he's upset _now?_ I wonder what I said that pushed his buttons.

"Prairie, I don't chastise you because I enjoy it or because it's some kind of routine- are you really not learning _anything_ from all the talks we've had? Nothing at all?"

"Like what?! Don't kick people, don't insult people, don't be unnecessarily rude- obviously I know those kinds of things are bad! But guess what? _I don't care!_ I don't have to do anything you say if I don't want to and there's nothing you can do about it, _avocado for brains!"_ I blurt out, losing my cool entirely to the amusement of Kokichi from where we left him standing. He's laughing, able to hear my words since I've raised my voice quite a bit at Rantaro.

At that point, I notice Rantaro himself wearing an unnatural pleasant smile after my words, prompting me to blink in mild curiosity. He's smiling? I just went total 'disrespectful brat' mode on him and called him names, what the heck is his proble-?

Suddenly there's a throbbing at my gut when my world is flipped entirely upside down, making me exhale sharply before I realize Rantaro has nearly knocked all the air out of my lungs by throwing me over his shoulder like a rag doll.

"H-Hey! Put me down, you have no right to do this!" I shout, slamming my fists on his back to no avail.

"Uh-oh! Somebody's in trouble~! Also, hey there, Shuichi! Welcome to the show! There's no popcorn, but the shows pretty good despite!"

"I'm not anyone's entertainment!" I snap, just as Rantaro passes Shuichi where the Ultimate Detective visibly gapes at my predicament. My temper spikes at the expression on his face, and I reach for any insult I can to hurl his way in my rage. "What are you staring at, _dummy?!_ You look like a dead frog!"

Shuichi flinches, stammering an apology as Kokichi joins his side with a grin and returns the freaking ema plaque to the visibly perturbed detective.

"Better hold on to your things properly, Shuichi! You ought to be more careful when we have girls like Prairie running around and picking people's pockets! How shameful!" Kokichi comments, clearly only trying to piss me off further as he follows with poor curious Shuichi after us.

 _I'm never doing anything nice for that rat ever again, he just gave what I took straight back to Shuichi!_

Even angrier than before I start hitting Rantaro's back again, attempting to just pull myself entirely over his shoulder to escape. He tightens his grip on the backs of my legs, keeping me in place like I weigh nothing and like my efforts are futile.

By the time we get to wherever Rantaro is bringing me, I'm exhausted from my struggles, so he's able to effortlessly swing me down on a desk with a thud that makes me grunt in displeasure. Just when I think he's about to finally yell at me, he snatches something from the thin belt just around my hips and turns to walk away.

At first I can't tell what's happened, maybe because I never considered Rantaro Amami would ever stoop this low. Of course I underestimate the fact that he totallysees me as if I'm an _actual_ six year old, because everything clicks into place when he closes the door on his way out...and promptly locks me in the classroom with nothing except that airy and weightless pleasant smile he's been wearing ever since I yelled at him when I was with Kokichi.

 _Did...did he really lock me in here and just leave?_

I get off the desk Rantaro propped me on, reaching for the classroom door knob and blinking owlishly when it holds fast under the lock. Reaching down to tap my belt where the ring of my keys once were- including my only key to lock this specific room, I eventually drop my hands to my sides and stare blankly at the door.

...

Next moment, I have my fists up and I slam them as hard as I can against the door with a shout of rage.

"You're the most _insufferable_ person on the planet, Rantaro! I _hate_ you!" I scream angrily, not even sure if he's still there listening or has decided to skip out of the trouble with me this time. That's probably it, he's likely already left with Shuichi and Kokichi. He just shoved me in this room as a "time out" so he wouldn't have to deal with me...

Even though I'm _seventeen freaking years old._

"I hope you're happy! Congratulations, I'm out of your way!" I call out anyways, whether or not he can hear me. I hope he can. "Of course you throw me in a stupid room like this."

I turn and walk over to the desks and chairs again, bending over to grab a chair and hurl it towards the classroom door mercilessly. The sound of metal and plastic crashes with an eardrum aching slam and clatter, prompting a startled curse from one of the boys, though I can't tell who it is, and frankly I don't care. I'm angry. You tend to not care about a lot of stuff when you're focused on the one thing that's infuriating you.

"Of _course_ a brain-dead scumbag like you can't figure it out on your freaking own! I guess your parents didn't bother to pass down anything actually _worthwhile!"_ I shout, hurling another chair at the door with all my might.

I can definitely hear someone laughing, and I can tell it's definitely Kokichi. No one else has as much of a familiar crappy laugh as his stupid laugh.

"You laugh like a donkey, Kokichi, feel free to 'nee-hee- _hee-haw'_ out of here before you break our eardrums with your braying," I snap, hearing him fall silent before he clicks his tongue like he's about to say something back to my claim.

He doesn't sound mad, but I honestly could care less about wasting my time micro-analyzing him to see if I really struck a nerve. Instead, I manage to pick up a desk and throw it at the door with a loud grunt of exertion and silence him as a result of the much louder crashing sound when it hits the door and topples over the chairs I already had throws there beforehand.

"You wanna know what's wrong, Amami? YOU! You're a pretty face, but it's too bad that can't help you with your stupid... _sister complex!"_

There's a sputter of shock at that comment coming from more than one source, but I just kick a desk and a few chairs over with a loud growl. Throwing and kicking around all this stuff is awfully therapeutic in a way...

"If you were _my_ brother, I'd set myself on fire and jump in a vat of gasoline to put myself out of my misery!" I scream, picking up another desk and launching it at the door again, noting how it's starting to get just a tad bit easier to pick things up. Adrenaline sure is potent, isn't it?

Eventually I pause my fit to catch my breath and grab one of many kicked chairs, scraping it upright so I can take a seat. Seconds pass. Minutes pass. After a little bit of time, I hear Shuichi speak up, audibly still stunned from my explosive display of anger from the other side of the door. He's lucky he wasn't on this side with me, I'd probably pick him up and throw him at the freaking door too if I could. Screw Shuichi and his empty apologies.

"A-Are you gonna let her out?" Shuichi asks, no doubt speaking to Rantaro.

"Nope."

 _"Nope"? That casual? ...I hate him and everyone else he's ever come in contact with. I regret ever getting smitten with him after we fell out of those lockers._

I'm still enraged. I feel awful- no, _miserable._ Rantaro just honestly doesn't realize that him treating me like a child is stomping all over my pride as a woman. Seventeen counts as a woman, right? I think so, it's pretty close...but I'm definitely not a freaking child in need of scoldings or time-outs.

I guess I'll throw around some more chairs and desks while I'm still in here.

Just as I stand up and turn to pick up my chair, I pause as my eyes slide over to the window near me. Outside it looks like another beautiful fake day. Lovely. I should just climb out and down the school if Rantaro really wants to play games like this.

...Wait. I can climb out? Weren't there metal barbed wires covering the windows in here before? Hmm...I can't remember, but I won't look a gift-horse in the mouth.

Of course, I'm not leaving until I've finished telling off the oafs on the other side of the door.

"...so...I figured at least Shuichi might get a glue, but I've clearly overestimated the processor in that melon of his. It must be behind a few updates. I was right, you're _all_ idiots. Even if I talked to you about it, Rantaro, you wouldn't understand. You'd just want to lock me in a room exactly like this. As for you Shuichi, don't bother trying to apologize again. I don't care if you understand later or not, you're a waste of time. Kokichi...you're just annoying and you're full of crap. I guess that means I'm done talking with you guys then. If you want to have your existences acknowledged by me beforeI get us all out of here, _pull a miracle out of your asses,"_ I snap with finality, turnign away from the door and stepping up on the ledge of the window carefully so my heels don't screw up my balance.

 _Hopefully_ ** _that guy_** _is already out of the new part of the school we opened up...ah! There he is!_

The large man with beautiful curly locks about as wild as mine is more or less unaware of my presence looming over him from so high- up until I take in a deep breath and blow out a loud whistle around my fingers. His head immediately shoots up in my direction, eyes widening a little when he sees me.

"Gonta!" I call out with a wave.

"Small Prairie!" Gonta calls back, face a rosy hue before he looks away and covers his face and glasses with his hands. "W-What Small Prairie doing so high? G-G-Gonta see things Gonta should not see!"

"Don't worry, it's a body suit under this dress! But that doesn't matter right now! You better be watching, because I'm jumping out of this window and if you don't catch me, I'll die!" I shout back, running purely on adrenaline and recklessness like never before. It doesn't justify the means- doing something so dangerous just to upset the boys on the other side of the door. What kind of a person does that? It's toxic.

 _And yet here I am doing it. I can't stop._

Gonta looks up again just as I take a few steps, visibly garbling in panic as he tries to say something to stop my irrational behavior. The sound of the door trying to open against all the chairs and the two desks I threw at it barely catches my attention as the metal scrapes against the ground, chairs collapsing from the pile as the door opens more and more.

"Prairie, tell me you're joking-!" I hear Ranaro call out, only turning my head just slightly when I notice someone's slipped into the room. Of course, it ends up being Rantaro himself to my horrible luck. I don't bother giving him an answer I know will fall on deaf ears, instead making a break for the window when he lunges forward.

I can already tell I won't make it in time, he's gonna catch my dress skirt and pull me back.

 _Then take off the dress part!_

Not really caring that I'm severely damaging the cosplay Tsumugi made- and still salty that it's more "mature" than how I would want Rantaro to see me when refer to wanting him to treat me my age, I grab the knife attached to my leg under under my skirt and pop it out of its sheath. With swift accurate movements, I quickly grab the hem of my skirt and slice the fabric straight up to my chest.

Rantaro catches the skirt of my dress and I pull back my arms so the dress pulls off to leave me in the upper long sleeve garment attached to the bottom white bodysuit segment I wore under the dress. Looking back, Rantaro looks mildly startled by the fact I've managed to escape just barely, staring after me in obvious distress before I close my eyes and catch the ledge of the window frame perfectly with the gap between my heel and the front of my shoe.

My leg bends to gain some traction...

And I kick off out of the second story of the school building in a flip.

 ** _End of 3.3 - Not A_ _Child_**


	33. 3:4 - Unsupported

_**3.4 - Unsupported**_

"Gonta, catch me!" I call out, all the while using my intuition to blindly shift my body around and make sure I'm jumping in an arc where catching me will be the easiest for him. All the while I can hear panicking from three different people, notably being Rantaro, Shuichi, and Gonta.

I guess Kokichi doesn't care if I turn into a pancake, so that's great and all.

Just as planned, I land right in Gonta's arms with little to no complications, prompting me to glance up to see a very stark white Gonta breathe out a sigh of pure relief. His glasses are all skewed and crooked, so I reach up and readjust them with an innocent smile before looking towards the window I'd jumped from.

Rantaro and Shuichi are both gaping and about as pale faced as Gonta as they look down at us, Kokichi gesturing down towards me with a grand and dramatic gesture.

"You see?! She's totally a circus freak, I _told you_ I wasn't lying about it, but did you believe me? _Noooooo…_!" Kokichi accuses, poking Rantaro's arm and then watching when the green haired teen turns and races out of view. At that, Kokichi turns to Shuichi and steps beside him in the spot Rantaro once occupied. "You see what I have to deal with? Those lovebirds are at it all the time, I swear they argue and fight like an old married couple."

"Kokichi, when old married couples argue, the wife doesn't _fling herself out a window,"_ Shuichi points out in clear horror, turning to leave the window and follow behind Rantaro. Once It's just Kokichi there, I hop down out of Gonta's arms just as the violet devil turns his attention back down to me with a grin from ear to ear. "We'll be down in a second, _darling_ , don't go anywhere~!"

"Don't call me that!" I object heatedly as he turns to follow Shuichi, leaving me to look around and figure out my escape since a not-so-happy Rantaro is obviously on his way down to pull my ear, so to speak.

 _Escape...wait, Gonta is here and I need to be out of sight. I can go to the tunnel then! Rantaro won't think to find me there since I supposedly don't know it exists!_

"Small Prairie, why you jumping out windows?! Why you in smaller clothes than before?! Gonta no understand!" The mountain man beside me asks, covering his face with his hands as he sweats and turns away from me. At that, I smack his arm so he pulls his hands back a little where I can grab hold of his wrist. Once I have a hold of his wrist, I turn and start jogging towards the other side of the school in the direction of the boiler room Monokid previously told me the tunnel resides. I remember him mentioning a manhole, so I might need Gonta's help to lift the metal cover up for me in case it's been sealed where I can't open it myself if I stumble upon it.

"You don't need to understand, don't worry. I'm sorry I'm indecent right now, but I need your help with something before Rantaro gets down here," I say, pulling him along with me up until I jerk to a stop when Gonta plants his feet and resists my pulling. I squeak, looking back at him in confusion and slight panic since this is a slow down that might result in Rantaro appearing any second. "G-Gonta?"

"Wait! S-Small Prairie no can go that way! Rantaro and Kirumi said too dangerous! Small Prairie could get hurt!" Gonta openly admits, making my eyes narrow on him and my lips tighten in a line as my pride is once again stomped down on with no mercy. Him too? Freaking _Gonta?_

I release his wrist like it's burnt me, clicking my tongue in furious disappointment as I turn to continue towards the stupid boiler room on my own. He stammers when he sees me whirl around on him, stepping forward to try and catch my wrist even after I've snatched it from his grabbing range.

"If you don't want to help me, that's freaking fine, but don't expect me to follow any orders that aren't my _own,"_ I growl his way, my temper only simmering slightly because as upset as I am, I know Gonta's only responding based on stupid Rantaro's orders. Nevermind that Kirumi is also in on it, but at least she doesn't try to suffocate me with chastisements when I act out.

 _There really is hardly anyone here that actually believes in me, huh? They're not just sitting ducks, they're actively inhibiting my moves to get us out too! This is the worst situation ever! We're never getting out of here!_

"Gonta that's enough! Stop trying to grab my arm!" I suddenly snap when he tries a fourth time, lashing out with a hard slap I have to jump just to give him since he's so tall. Gonta yelps a little, glasses going crooked again.

"PRAIRIE!"

I hate that I wince on impulse at the familiar sound of Rantaro's chastising shout, turning towards the speaker that's arrived and backing up from Gonta quickly when I realize Rantaro's stride is much faster than it usually is. Presumably since I'm backing up in the direction of the boiler room, he suddenly pauses and stops moving after a moment.

Gonta backs up until he's beside him, fixing his glasses and looking down a little like a puppy that's just been kicked. Honestly, despite his size, I can't help but feel incredibly guilty over slapping him. The man is a teddy bear, a very sweet and well meaning one...but he's just so _gullible._ And that's probably what makes me feel all the more awful that I've slapped him.

The one I should be slapping is _Rantaro..._

In the pause, Kokichi laughs and taps Gonta's arm with the back of his hand a few times to get the sad man's attention. "Hah! Prairie got you too, huh? She slapped me so hard the other day that I thought I was gonna spit out a tooth!"

 _...why the heck does he sound so proud of that?_

"Okay…" Rantaro speaks up, making me look his way again as Shuichi moves to Gonta's side to console him while Kokichi continues with showing Gonta a very much dramaticized play-by-play of how I had slapped him previously. "So maybe what I did back there locking you in that room may seem like the worst thing I could do, but I have my reasons and you're lashing out pretty bad at everyone right now. I'm willing to give back all of your keys and sit down to talk if you want to."

Everyone's looking my way again, none of them moving a muscle or looking away from me as they wait for my answer.

 _It's because they're trying to get me away from the boiler room where the manhole to the stupid tunnel is, isn't it?_

Training my eyes on Gonta, I can see he's sweating just a little from where he's cradling his cheek, visibly anxious.

 _If I didn't already know that tunnel existed, I would have in this moment. Now that Rantaro is actually here with Gonta, Kokichi, and Shuichi, maybe it's best I postpone the tunnel exploration...again._

 _Am I ever going to explore that tunnel?! It feels like things keep getting in the way every time I want to!_

"Keep the keys. I don't want them and I don't want to talk to you," I plainly respond with a sharp glare, my guard completely up for any sort of movement any of the boys might make. I kind of want to take a step in the direction of the boiler room and see how they react…

No one says anything for a moment. The air is electrified with tension I can practically feel on my skin, making the hairs on back of my neck stand on end. There's a breeze, the exact same listless breeze that this cage we're in produces on an endless basis to keep up the illusion of it being outdoors.

...

I inch towards the boiler room-

-And Rantaro suddenly dashes forward towards me so fast that I almost can't avoid being caught.

 _Almost._

I manage to drop and duck down under his arm at the last minute, running past the other boys and easily slipping around them since Kokichi is obviously only here for the show. Gonta and Shuichi are both unprepared for my slippery escape by the looks of it, turning to watch me escape in panic and surprise.

"Prairie, wait!" I hear Shuichi call out, although I hardly know what he hopes to achieve by having me actually stop- other than getting me caught by Rantaro. Of course, I don't "wait" even for a moment.

Turning around the corner into the school's courtyard, I catch sight of someone else I can potentially trust and perk up in relief. Maybe Gonta was just a bad choice, but _this_ person…!

"Help! There's a _degenerate male_ chasing me!" I claim for the second time as I race towards the figure of Tenko Chabashira, darting behind her and pointing at Rantaro just as he skids into view and immediately falters in his dash with a visible sheepish look of discomfort across his features. Seems like he understands that me pointing _any_ guy out to Tenko is likely not a good thing.

It turns out Tenko is not one to ask questions first, because she grabs a fistful of the front of Rantaro's shirt without hesitation before anyone can say anything, hoisting him up and turning to dump him straight down one of the many garbage bins located around the school headfirst.

Rantaro grunts upon impact in his landing, making me smile and gratefully clap my hands as he disappears to try and squirm out of the dump. How does she do it? He's twice her size and she lifts him up like he's made of styrofoam! I mean, I mimicked her using my intuition when I flipped Kokichi on his backside before, but Kokichi is quite nearly my own size. Rantaro is a _skyscraper!_

"Right where you belong, you _men_ ace! I knew Prairie would eventually see the light when it comes to degenerate males like you! How dare you chase around a poor girl! It's because she's showing so much skin all of a sudden, isn't it?! Or... _did you take her dress off yourself?"_ Tenko sounds more and more bloodthirsty by the minute until I take her hand and watch as she snaps out of her raging assumptions.

I might be furious with Rantaro, but I also don't want Tenko rendering him completely unrecognizable. That's a little too much.

"That's good enough, Tenko. If he bothers me again, we can amp up the punishment," I say cheerfully, smiling up at her sweetly to get her temper to drop a little. She seems to relax at that, glancing over her shoulder at the other three boys that seem to have seen Rantaro's fate as a result of my tattling. When they realize her attention is on them now, Shuichi and Gonta take cautious steps back and leave Kokichi where he is with his arms crossed behind his head calmly. Considering how fast donkey-boy can run, I guess that's no surprise.

 _I should keep calling him that. He didn't seem to like it when I made fun of his laugh upstairs. Now he'll have a taste of his own medicine._

I resist a wider and less innocent smile at the thought, but my lips must twitch a little at the corners because Kokichi is staring pretty intensely at me.

"Prairie, do you want me to deal with that little flea too? I can dump him in that other garbage bin over-" Tenko starts, until I take her hand in mine and smile.

"Oh, don't worry about him. Want to come get food with me? I'm kind of running on an empty stomach," I dissuade her from pursuing Kokichi, shifting to link my arm with hers so she focuses entirely on me. "We can hang out."

Tenko brightens up like the sun at the suggestion, her arm tightening with mine. Her eager nod is all I need to start leading her towards the entrance of the school, giving me the chance to turn my head when I hear Rantaro finally climbing out of the trash bin. He doesn't look happy at all, and when he looks my way- covered in unidentifiable sauces and who knows what else by the looks of it- I only stick my tongue out at him and reach up to pull my eyelid down childishly.

For how he's been treating me, I freaking might as well. _I win._

Rantaro gives me a dry look of annoyance in response to my reaction, making a slight face as he begins to swat off the crap that's covering him from getting personal with the garbage bin.

 _There! Now I'm safe for sure! Tenko was a great choice!_

"I'm surprised though," Tenko starts as we enter the school and move out of earshot from the boys outside that are now conversing among themselves. "Why _were_ they chasing you around?"

I let out a sigh at that, entering the dining hall with her and shutting the doors behind us so we're alone. With everyone mostly running around in search for the last hidden passage and sightseeing through the new rooms and halls, we're likely not to be bothered for at least a little while.

"I'll say even though he's a male degenerate of the lowest caliber, I thought you two got along pretty well."

"Yeah, but Rantaro and everyone else are…" I pause as we walk into the kitchen, only to trail off and look back towards the door to the exit. Once I deem that we're not going to have anyone running in, I relax and turn back to Tenko. She's stuck here with me when she too can be looking for ways out of here. I kind of feel bad. "A-Are you sure you don't mind not looking around with the others? I can go with you and we can still hang out later so I can tell you what's bothering me about Rantaro, if you're still willing to listen at that time," I offer, making Tenko smile and face me as a result. Her face says it all before she even utters a single word.

"Of course I don't mind! No way am I leaving for that! Besides, all the degenerate males are over there anyways. Girl time is way better!" Tenko exclaims, holding out a few containers of Kirumi's leftovers from what was made for breakfast. I look through them, grabbing what I want and what I presume Tenko wants as well. She seems to already know what I like though, but makes no move to explain. I guess it's more of that "Perfect Blitz" celebrity knowledge… "Plus, I want to know more in case I need to flip that Rantaro on his backside again like I did when we met."

The sound of a door opening in the dining hall makes us both freeze, Tenko quickly dashing away from the fridge to get to the kitchen entrance and see who's joined us unexpectedly.

It's just Tsumugi Shirogane, but when she looks up and sees me, she lets out a piercing squeal of glee that makes Tenko and I wince together in confusion.

"Aaah~! You're wearing the body suit without the dress! I didn't think you'd actually do it!" She squeals, tinting my cheeks red as a result. "You look so _se-!"_

"N-NO!"

Both Tsumugi and Tenko look at me curiously when I cross my arms over my body and shift to hide behind Tenko a little.

"I'm not dressed this way by choice! R-Rantaro was chasing me and I had to cut off my dress so he wouldn't-" I cut myself off when I notice Tsumugi stiffen up in obvious horror at my statement. At first, I don't understand what's got her distressed, but once I look down and remember who I'm talking to and who's dress I just mentioned I've shamelessly cut, I feel suddenly sheepish. "...I'm sorry."

"...I'm glad you've been forced to shed a layer towards every woman's need for bodily freedom, but not like this."

"Hey!" I complain, objecting as Tsumugi relaxes and grins my way.

"By choice or not, you look _sexy!_ I should make another body suit cosplay like that…" She comments thoughtfully, causing my stomach to churn in discomfort. She's _way_ too into dressing me up in these cosplays of hers!

"No! No body suit cosplays! If you make it, I'm telling you now that I won't-" I start until she cuts me off to say, "I have a coupon ticket for a nectarine."

I hesitate, prompting Tenko to comment as she looks from me to Tsumugi and back. "Prairie, I hope you're asking yourself whether it's really worth it or not. If you keep walking around as you are and then go wearing another tiny outfit like this one, you're going to get a lot of unwanted attention from these rotten degenerate males!"

Tsumugi boldly huffs in disagreement, "It's not _Prairie's_ fault if the boys decide to be gross and objectify her, it's _their_ fault for being so simple minded! Prairie has no reason to be ashamed of her body, she's a mature young woman just like the rest of us!"

I could cry just hearing Tsumugi say that.

"Whoa...actually, you're _right!_ Men are such weak kneed- no matter what a girl wears, they'll just find any reason to look down on us and be pervy! Arg! I wanna drop kick a menace now! Prairie, we should do that after we eat!" Tenko exclaims, grinning from ear to ear. "We'll make them regret their outside gonads!"

I might actually cry for real now.

Shuffling a bit where I stand and feeling my face heat up a little at the embarrassing query I've got ready, I timidly ask, "So...um, do you two really think I'm not immature then…?"

Both girls gape at me, momentarily sharing concerned looks. After a second, we glance around to make sure we're alone here and Tsumugi joins us further in the kitchen where we can all begin to heat up our food to take to the dining hall. Who would have thought a trio like us would be huddled in a place like this talking to one another.

 _And here we have a jock, a nerd, and a celebrity. Interesting._

"Now I get why you popped a lid on us at the pool!" Tenko sympathizes as we all take turns heating up our food portions. We have an additional guest, but despite that we've got plenty of food when it comes down to it. "Prairie, just because you have a few moments of immaturity doesn't mean you're immature! Having a fighting spirit is power, don't let Rantaro- or any other degenerate male for that matter- make you feel otherwise!"

"That's right! You're smart and you're the only one that's been able to stand toe-to-toe with Monokuma! You're a strong woman- even Kaito doesn't stand a chance with that bear when it comes down to it, but you can hold your ground regardless of everything else and you mean everything you say! That's plainly incredible, you know?" Tsumugi agrees, sighing and looking down at her piping hot bowl of noodles she's pulled out of the microwave. With that, I pop in my dish and watch as it begins to turn round and round. "I wish I had the guts to do that. I'm just too plain for something as amazing as that."

 _They get it! They both know exactly how I feel! But then...why does no one else get it? Besides them, Kaito, Korekiyo and Kokichi don't treat me like I need to be protected from myself._ _ **They**_ _get me. Am I just doomed to be viewed as a child in everyone else's eyes then?_

"I wish that stupid Rantaro would understand...I've been pretty obvious about it before, so it hurts that he doesn't seem to care. He's such a clueless idiot!" I can't help but snap a little, stabbing the microwave button a little too violently when my food finishes heating up. As I retrieve my food and Tenko pops hers in to heat up, I continue to vent furiously and shove a chicken piece from my fried rice into my mouth. "This would taste better if he didn't make me so upset. He isn't even in the same room as us and he _still_ manages to piss me off! Why can't he just _respect_ me? Is that too much to ask?!"

I must be getting a tad bit too passionate in my venting, because Tsumugi flinches a little when I turn my head her way quickly. Once I note this and force myself to relax, she lets out a nervous laugh.

"It's not. Rantaro is probably just...misguided?" She suggests, before giving me a once-over and making a sympathetic smile. "As much as I hate to admit it, it might just be because you're a cute small girl and he's having trouble getting past seeing you as such."

"Degenerates like him don't deserve Prairie's attention. It's probably for the best that you hate him," Tenko huffs, taking her dish and leading us out to the empty dining hall. We all take a seat near the end of one side, me sitting so Tenko and Tsumugi are on either side of me across from one another.

I make a small whine of disapproval as I lift up my chopsticks, conflicted by her words even though I had a pretty bad fight with Rantaro and told him as much. Tenko lets out a sigh before she takes a bite of her rice ball and looks my way as she lowers her food for a moment, clearly sensing where I'm going with that little noise.

"Let me guess...you don't actually hate him and you want to make up with him if you can, hm?" Tenko inquires, sounding somewhat disappointed.

I nod, watching her eye twitch slightly as a result and then averting my gaze down to my bowl of rice.

"Sorry...I know your whole spiel with 'degenerate males' and all, but...he's the first face I saw," I explain, allowing my eyes to flick back up to her face just as her features begin to immediately soften when she realizes what I'm getting at. "I don't know anything outside of this place. Right now, this place is my entire world, and you guys are the only people in it. I want to get out of here and making friends isn't the point, I get that, but...if I _can_ make friends with everyone once we get out of here, I would like that. Likewise, if I can have someone around _right now_ to ground me and remind me everything's going to be okay- even if it's a lie...I want that. I don't want to be hated. I don't want to be alone if I can help it."

I poke another piece of chicken in my fried rice bowl with my chopsticks after my confession, this time picking it up with the rice and egg pieces.

"As for Rantaro, I know when it comes down to it, he means well..he's just meaning well in the most stupid freaking way humanly possible, and someone needs to knock some sense back into him."

The conversation goes quiet as the three of us continue eating, lost in our thoughts for the most part. For a while, all I hear is quiet chewing and the sound of metal chopsticks hitting the ceramic of the dishes we're using.

Tsumugi eventually clears her throat to speak, breaking the silence.

"By 'knocking some sense' into Rantaro, are we being literal?" Tsumugi inquires, making Tenko suddenly grin a wide smile around a bite of shrimp.

"If we are, I'd be glad to do the beating," Tenko offers off the bat, and I can't help but laugh a bit at it. Tsumugi, however, pushes up her glasses like she's been struck with an idea.

"Well, if it's _Prairie_ doing the beating...I have the perfect cosplay to make her wear," Tsumugi exclaims, finishing up her food and then standing. I breathe out a sigh of relief, glad to know she's forgotten about the "body suit" cosplay ideas she wanted me to wear. Almost as soon as I breathe that sigh though, she laughs at my reaction and pats my head. "No, no, it's still a bodysuit! Trust me though, wearing stuff like that might help that Rantaro remember you're not a little girl! Sexy means _mature_ , right? Then you totally need that!"

 _Why do I smell an ulterior motive under her advice? It feels more like she's trying to convince me to be our groups "fanservice" or something._

"I don't want him to think I'm mature in _that_ way! I-I'm not trying to seduce him, the last thing I want is to give him the wrong idea!" I object vehemently, only to feel my face turn bright red when Tsumugi leans over to peer at me over her glasses in a meaningful way that reminds me a little too much of how Kokichi looked at me before he started accusing me of liking Rantaro before.

"You sure it's the 'wrong' idea? I've seen the way you look at him though! You know, the two of you would look totally cute toge-!" Tsumugi chirps, looking suddenly smug and a bit too excited as she starts to make some scary implications I've never wanted to think about no matter how pathetic it is that I refuse to acknowledge I simply find Rantaro _slightly_ attractive.

"No! NO WAY! Prairie would never, right?!" Tenko turns to me, causing me to sweat a little under the pressure of her intense stare. "... _RIGHT?!"_

"...she likes him," Tsumugi plainly states, causing Tenko to let out a cry of horror that shakes the entire room. I'm pretty sure if we were using glasses for our drinks, they would shatter under the octave of her scream.

 _Well, of course she has a response like that. Prairie liking a degenerate male? In her eyes, I'm sure it's a sin._

I clear my throat for their attention.

"I don't want to 'get together' with him. There's a big difference between a-appreciating his features and…that. First of all, I'd need to respect him as a person and he needs to be likeable! Which he isn't! He's insufferable, he's annoying, he doesn't respect me and therefore I don't respect _him_ \- and he wants everything his way or the highway! Don't you see how frustrating that is? Why would I ever want to 'get with' a person like that?!"

Tsumugi sighs, pushing up her glasses. I can't really tell if she's taking it seriously or just dismissing it in the meantime, but at least I can tell she's dropping the subject for now.

And then Tenko spouts something completely unprecedented.

"Good! I'm glad you think that, Prairie! Also, on another topic...I have an idea!"

* * *

The gym is entirely vacant when we enter, the sound of our footsteps the only noise that echoes in the vegetation overrun room. Tsumugi has left Tenko and I to get started on whatever cosplay she's come up with having me wear- mentioning it was a bodysuit with a hat, boots, and body paint at least for my exposed legs. Considering my amnesia, the hints give nothing about the cosplay away. Since Tenko doesn't seem to know most videogames and is more knowledgeable in her dislike for me and her love for Neo-Aikido, Tenko has no idea what the cosplay could be of either.

Which just leaves us in the gym together, setting up a foam flooring for when we engage in combat.

Yep, _combat._ It's not exactly that though, apparently Tenko's bright idea is to teach me the ways of Neo-Aikido, which it turns out is much more violent than the roots which Aikido stems from. While Aikido is a benevolent form of fighting that reduces as much damage on the opposition as possible, Neo-Aikido promises _only_ a world of pain.

Which is why I find myself growing angrier and angrier every time Tenko hurls me around like a doll, teaching me _nothing_ unlike what she promised. Before I can snap at her and lose my temper though, she eventually wraps up the beatdown and taps her foot on the padded flooring with a grin.

"Alright, you've had your first few tastes and now you're angry. Now...come at me!" She orders fearlessly.

I hardly need the prompting. With a speed I don't even expect from myself, I charge Tenko without hesitation, seeing a smile on her face before I close my eyes to give myself the advantage. With moves I don't even expect from myself, mostly because I'm just so pissed off after being tossed around so much, I kick out her legs and slam an elbow behind her neck, using my other arm to grab her back and then dropping my weight immediately so she falls flat face first into the foam floor with the force of gravity and my body entirely landing on the point of my elbow pressed against the nape of her neck.

Once I've got her down and she sputters in surprise, my eyes snap open and both Tenko and I climb up to our feet to crack our backs.

"Ahh, I knew the fire necessary for Neo-Aikido was somewhere inside you...after all, you _loved_ wrestling and boxing as Perfect Blitz, so it's no surprise someone your size can throw me down like that! How do you feel? You were so angry before you took me down, but you feel better now, right?" Tenko asks, surprising me a little at the fact that she isn't mad at me for taking her down in such a crude fashion.

 _Furthermore, I threw Tenko down with a move I didn't even recognize...could it be something I used to know but forgot because of my amnesia? I mean, my intuition only works for things I already know and it builds from that knowledge. In fact, after the final reset, something similar happened in that my intuition pulled out information I maybe shouldn't have known just like this. It was Kokichi's lockpicking...does that mean…? Did I know Kokichi_ _ **before**_ _the first reset? ...Those dice on his switchblade were awfully familiar the first time I saw them too._

"I'm...not mad anymore," I confirm after filing away that little epiphany in the back of my mind for the time being, a tad bit surprised I've cooled down so quickly myself. "After Rantaro locked me in the classroom upstairs on the second floor, it was the same like this. I felt better after kicking and throwing around a few chairs and desks."

"Yes, yes! Now, it might seem like 'violence is the answer' based on what we've just done, but it's really just the exercise and physical exertion! Feeling like being aggressive might help a little, but it's not a healthy method of relieving the hellfire or rage- so as a result we have Neo-Aikido! See, now I'm much calmer when it comes to my anger problems too!" Tenko openly admits to my further disbelief.

Her anger problems? Tenko has that? Sure, she's a very passionate person and can be a little much at times, but I wouldn't have guessed she had any anger problems above her acute dislike for men.

Tenko grins at my reaction. "That's right! Before I began practicing Aikido in its basic form as a child, I couldn't control my emotions at all. My parents said I was like an exploding volcano, which worried them a lot. That's why they sent me to the temple with my master!"

 _She really had a problem_ _ **that**_ _bad with her anger? Maybe I should have been hanging around Tenko more than Rantaro this entire time. Although...I wonder who's peak anger would be more intense, mine or hers?_

"You lived in a temple?" I ask curiously, only to quickly raise my guard when I notice Tenko take an offensive position and hurry to mimic her stance so I don't get a heel to my face again.

"Now, if you want to keep learning more about me, you need to _beat_ it out of me!" Tenko exclaims, lunging for me.

I slide out of the way but she still manages to catch my arm and flip me over onto my backside in an awkward position, her arm holding my right arm where I can't use it. Seems like Tenko must not be as fanatic of Perfect Blitz as I imagined, because I use my dominant left arm to hook around the back of her neck to hold myself up. My temper only sparks slightly as I brace my feet and push up to knee the area of Tenko's side with a yell. She drops my weight with a grunt, allowing me to yank down on her neck where I still have my left arm around and roll to pin her on the ground beneath me.

"There!" I claim, but soon find myself quickly pinned down myself immediately after my victory quip. Tenko grins, her breath uneven and fast paced from our workout.

"I did live in a temple! My parents sent me with my master so I would learn Aikido! Self-improvement is the goal, and with some commitment I've been able to overcome my intense anger issues!" She continues, keeping me pinned despite my furious struggles underneath her.

"How bad were they? They couldn't have been _that_ bad if you were able to get over them so quickly," I object, seeing her expression tint with more amusement- like a cat toying with it's prey. Coming from Tenko, I never expected to see a side of her quite like this...although it's intriguing to see that she's not as one-note as I initially expected after all.

"Worse than yours. My parents were convinced I wouldn't be able to live a normal life in regular society with how bad my anger was! I had to constantly study Aikido till I was able to calm down, but I knew Aikido was my true calling! With my master, we created a new form as a result, _Neo-_ Aikido!"

I let out a shout and use all my power to swing us over where I'm on top again, but just when I jump up and try to step back, she hooks a foot behind mine and trips me. I yelp as I fall back, quickly saved by Tenko lurching forwards and grabbing the front of my body suit by the hem of the opening at my chest.

Honestly, I should be more concerned with what she's going to do _after_ the fact, but I can't help but still squeal in panic a bit at the feeling of her fingers curling down somewhere inappropriate. Because I'm so focused on that, Tenko is able to yank my body back easily so I tumble past her across the foam mat. When I finally come to a stop- in an unflattering heap at that- Tenko straightens up and walks towards my collapsed figure. She has a soft smile on her face, one that give me butterflies in my belly. Rantaro never looks at me like that. Like an _equal._

"So now that you know what I've accomplished...what do you say? Want me to train you Neo-Aikido for real?" She asks, leaning over and holding out her hand to me.

... _Who'd be crazy enough to say "no"?_

I reach out to take her hand...and she promptly gets to work flipping me again like a pancake.

Upon eventually finishing with Tenko after some more exercise and drills as well as some major lectures on what will decrease my abilities- a few of which I can tell off the bat are a bit ridiculous and likely lies from her master to steer her away from certain behaviors- like _boys-_ we eventually decide to accompany each other on our way back to the dormitories.

"Ah! Tenko and the blasphemer!" Angie Yonaga catches us just as we're stepping out of the school, clapping her hands in delight. "Wonderful, I was just about to head on over to the gymnasium, everyone is going to be meeting in there soon!"

"What did you just call Prairie?! How rude! Learn to show some respect!" Tenko is quick to object while I give Angie a stare of annoyance at her continued use of calling me a "blasphemer".

I make no point to hide getting on my tiptoes where I can visibly whisper in Tenko's ear, pretending Angie isn't there.

"Come on, let's just go. She can talk to the wall," I huff to Tenko, earning a nod of confirmation before I pull away from her ear and we go around Angie without another word, both of us agreeing to ignore her presence and whatever "meeting" she's informing us of. With those people that look down on me like I'm not an equal? Nah, I'll pass on that. They're fine without me.

Rantaro would probably be _so_ proud knowing I'm out of the way exactly as he wanted.

Angie makes a noise of confusion at our reaction, turning to watch us continue out of the school.

"...okay then!" She seems to give up. "We found a strange contraption though, so meet us in the gymnasium soon after you two finish hanging out!"

 _Nah, I don't think we will._

Tenko and I share a wry smile Angie can't see and continue through the courtyard.

"There's no way I'm meeting up with them. Besides, I'm just an immature liability in their way after all," I mock once we're out of Angie's earshot, making Tenko smile sympathetically.

"I can't believe some of them see you that way even knowing what you've accomplished in your life. Besides, you climbed the _wall!_ In front of everyone! What are they so worried about?! You need support, not regulations!" Tenko agrees, easing my conflicted heart more as we speak.

 _I'm glad she's here. I'd go crazy if I didn't have someone around to convince me I'm not going crazy or overestimating myself by saying I'm capable of as much as everyone else._

"Thank you for everything, by the way. I don't really like hearing a lot about Perfect Blitz because honestly, it sounds like a completely different person from me. As much as I dislike it though, it's sort of nice after everything Rantaro's been piling on top of me. Thank you for believing in me," I say after a moment, turning to smile as we reach the dormitory building.

"It's no problem! I know I can be a bit over the top about Perfect Blitz but…" Tenko looks away, turning an unexpected shade of bright red as she pushes open the door for me to walk in first. "I just...I love idols…! Girls that perform on a stage in cute outfits are so great! I wish I could be like that, but I-I just don't think I could ever be like that. I'm too rough around the edges and I'm not cute at all…"

"Eh? What are you talking about? You _are_ cute!" I object, pulling a little at her chain link pigtails and then her layered ruffled skirt. "You're crazy, what are you even saying about not being cute…!"

Tenko turns even brighter red, somehow managing to look even more cute than before. Once we're further in, I can't help but pause at the sight of my room door on the second level. Without my keys, I'm not getting in there at all...dang it. And I really need to take a shower and get out of these clothes too, I'm covered head to toe in sweat!

"Um…" I look towards Tenko, fiddling with my gloves curiously as she manages to calm her crazy blushing down. "Do you think I can take a shower in your room after you're done? I don't have my keys- Rantaro sort of took them from me and he still has them."

Tenko huffs at that discovery, but quickly gives me a smile and a pat on the back as she leads me to her room. "Don't worry! You can shower first if you want while I go ask Tsumugi if that cosplay she's working on is already ready. She did say she could have it done in record time, since it's such small clothing."

I whine a little at the reminder, but follow her into the room as soon as she unlocks the door. Upon entering, the dorm room is about as depressing as Rantaro's, Kokichi's, and Kaede's in that it's exactly the same, but I can see that she's set up a few things around to try and personalize it as best as possible. Firstly, she seems to have abandoned her closet altogether, having her outfits hanging along a bar on the back wall where she can just go through and grab whichever one freely. Not to mention, she has a bunch of plushies on her bed that immediately send waves of fluffy glee across my heart at the sight.

"In record time...that fast though? She said she had to make the gloves, boots, and hat from scratch too though. You sure it'll just be done in such few hours like this?" I ask, making Tenko nod affirmatively.

"Trust me! Never underestimate an Ultimate anything! Whatever their field is...they're good at it, no questions asked!" Tenko declares, smiling at me and reaching over to rub the side of my head warmly. "That goes for you too, you know. Don't feel pressured and don't feel like no one believes in you. If you ever feel that way, I hope you remember that I'll always be here to support you no matter what, and not just because you're Perfect Blitz either...I like Prairie too. She's different than what I'm used to, but she's not bad at all."

My heart swells at her words and she walks to the doorway, throwing me one last smile before she reaches for the door. I almost don't want her to go even though I know I'll see her in almost record time. Then again, within these walls of the killing game, every moment can be the last one.

 _Maybe that's why you shouldn't be so mad at Rantaro. You should get up off your butt and go apologize. You don't want your fight to be the last thing you remember of him if someone kills him, do you?_

I feel sick just thinking about it. Sick...and angry. It shouldn't be like this.

 _He won't be killed. That's absolutely not an option in my book, whether I'm mad at him or not. Besides, I can't be mad at him and he can't learn his lesson for treating me like garbage if he's dead. And nothing will happen to Tenko either!_

"Feel free to use any of the bathroom products in there!" Tenko announces, shooting me a friendly wink. "I'll be back before you know it, don't worry! No one's taking Tenko down!"

Tenko shuts the door, leaving me to begin attempting to pull at the one piece I'm wearing when I realize I picked the worst moment to get lost in my thoughts. I try stretching back to pull the ties free, but after some wasted efforts, I let out a frustrated groan. I should have asked Tenko before she left, but I forgot how hard it is to take this dumb suit off…!

Suddenly the buzzer to the door goes off, and it isn't until I turn to look up that I notice Tenko's left her keys on the table beside me. I sigh in relief, speeding over to the door.

"Thank god you're back! I need help untying the ties on my body sui- _Eep!"_ I cut myself off with a yip of surprise when I see who's on the other side of the door instead of Tenko.

"Oh! Uh…I'm sorry!" Shuichi immediately apologizes, looking awkward and suddenly slapping his hands over his mouth. Clearly he remembers my little quip about his "empty apologies". "I mean, I'm-! Um, is-is Tenko here?"

I narrow my eyes on him, making no move to answer. Shuichi sweats under my intense gaze.

 _Good._

"We're all at the gym...we sent Angie to get the word out and she said you, Tsumugi, and Tenko all said no initially. We were going to respect that at first, but um, it turns out we really need you on this one, Prairie. You _specifically_ ," he elaborates, his voice slowly gaining confidence as he continues.

 _Me specifically? Ohh, is that why he was asking for_ _ **Tenko**_ _when he first saw me? Psh. I don't believe him. He probably just wants to speak to Tenko because she looks more mature than me._

"Why the heck would you guys specifically need 'me'? What am I supposed to do?" I ask, glad my temper isn't so flared up yet. I'm annoyed right now, sure, but at least I'm not biting anyone's head off. That workout with Tenko really did wonders…although I'm still not sure I'll be able to pick up Neo-Aikido specifically with how ingrained my actual fighting style seems to be when I rip it out of my subconscious using my intuition.

Shuichi looks slightly intimidated by my voice, stuttering a bit before he finally grabs the reigns of his nerves and reels them in enough to get a coherent statement out.

"W-Well, before Kaede...passed away…" Shuichi momentarily looks upset, but it's fleeting and disappears as quickly as it forms. At that, my features soften and I lose some of the tension in my body from his unexpected visit. "She mentioned at one point you said we lost our memories from a 'flashlight' of some sorts."

"...Yes, that's right. There were two kinds of flashlights. A black one that erased our memories, and then a round lighter one that also erased our memories and did something else. I still can't figure out what else it did, but that's the gist of it," I explain before my brain makes the connection on the already mentioned 'contraption' Angie brought up while Tenko and I were ignoring her. I look up at Shuichi. "Why, you found a flashlight-looking thing?"

"Yes. It was a round flashlight. We were all hoping you could-" Shuichi begins, until I give him a look and shake my head 'no'. He seems stunned by my answer, but I can't help but shrug with mock helplessness as my guard flies right back up.

"That's out of my hands. Too dangerous to be tempting Monokuma's wrath, right? I mean, that's what you guys are always pushing on me. Besides, you guys can figure it out yourselves- just _don't turn it on,"_ I stress dryly. Before I throw the door shut, I pause and flash Shuichi a bit of a grin. "Or actually! Maybe you _should_ turn it on! Then you guys can completely forget I exist and we can go back to when we were all better strangers! Go wild! Goodbye~!"

I grab the door and slam it shut on his face rudely despite how he opens his mouth to try and get a last word in, turning away to grab the knife strapped to my thigh. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I'm not going out there while Shuichi is there and I'm not waiting for Tenko to get back.

With little to no regret, I tear open the cosplay and finally disrobe to get in the shower. One thing I will say is that it's wonderfully comforting knowing there's two doors to get past, unlike how it's just one in my own room and BAM- insecurity.

Once I get out of the shower, I'm forced to wear my towel tightly around me and just...wait for Tenko to get back with those clothes Tsumugi said she's making.

I sit there for a while before I hear knocking at the door- sharp and annoying. I already know I don't want to answer, especially with a knock like that, so I just sit back on Tenko's bed and play around with a plushie to wait for the visitor to leave. They didn't even bother to use the buzzer, what's wrong with them?

…

More annoying knocking.

…

…

Even _more_ annoying knocking.

…

…

Suddenly I hear a fist slamming hard on the door, enough that I jump and eventually get on my feet with a pained groan when all the muscles and bones in my body object my sudden movements after some rest. I tie my towel around me harder and march to the door infuriated, grabbing the handle so I can tell off who I first assume to be Shuichi on the other side.

I swing the door open.

"Were those freaking directions just a _little_ too complex for that last brain cell of yours, Saiha…" I trail off.

Because the person standing at the doorway is not Shuichi Saihara, but rather Rantaro Amami.

He's staring at me, unfazed by my mode of exit and the clear aggression at the tip of my tongue. For a moment, I'm horrified because I've been caught off guard by _him-_ not to mention that I'm still in a stupid towel- but eventually my furnace of anger lights up again. Rantaro's face is one that I don't like right now, mostly for the expression he's wearing. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here in my presence. The feeling is mutual, but why the heck is he here then?

"Can you help us with the flashlight," he says more than asks, dismissive and with little actual request in his tone of delivery. He sounds like he doesn't even want to ask me at all...like he's been forced to come here and do so against his will rather than coming out of an equal desire to seek my help.

"No," I simply answer.

"Okay."

"Right."

And I shut the door with a swing of my arm when I see him promptly turn away to leave, making me scoff as I stand there and replay the interaction once I'm alone.

…

I'm even more enraged now than before. He doesn't even care. _He doesn't even freaking care._ I'm only freaking emotionally damaged to the point of wanting to rip my hair out because he's stomped on my pride repeatedly like a bug- and he isn't concerned at all!

I pick up a plushie to launch it across the room, but just as I arc my arm back to throw it, I let out a heavy sigh and give up. Setting the plushie back down on the bed, I sit back and eventually I hear knocking and the sound of Tenko's voice.

This time I open the door with my temper cooled down substantially into what I can only describe to be resignation. Rantaro _won't_ care. He _won't_ change his mind. He _won't_ believe in me.

There's no support to be found from him.

He didn't even give me my freaking keys back, for god's sake!

Tenko hops in and smiles, though it looks somewhat strained as she hands me a set of clothes, including undergarments that Tsumugi even made to match the outfit. "Order up~! She even added a pair of shorts so you don't have to immediately wear the bodysuit like that since the hat and gloves are still being made. Also...Tsumugi and I ran into that green menace while I was stepping out of her room. He mentioned a flashlight and Tsumugi's going with the others to see it. I was going to ask if you have changed you mind on it or anything. If you want to stay, I'd be happy to stay with you by the way! I don't mind either option!"

 _Something tells me she does mind a little. I think she wants to know what that flashlight is…which is understandable._

After putting on my undies and stepping into the olive green bodysuit- which is a _dream_ to put on in comparison to the other body suit and dress- I pull on the charcoal brown shorts and button them up as I face Tenko with a smile.

"No, that's okay. I'm not going, but you can go ahead without me if you want to. I don't mind," I tell her just as the buzzer to the room goes off yet again. Tenko gets up and turns the handle to open the door, but it's kicked open almost as soon as the person on the other side sees the door opening.

Tenko's standing a bit to the side so the swinging door, which opens inward unlike how mine opens outward, only smacks her hand a little and makes her yip in surprise.

On the other hand the door hits _me_ right in the face, barely giving me a glimpse of who steps into the room when I stumble backwards in a daze. My shoulder hits the table in Tenko's room, the edge jabbing hard into my exposed shoulder before I land on the floor cradling my left temple from the jaw aching pain that goes across my face and straight down my spine.

"Hm. This might be easier than I thought," a familiar voice, although not by much, speaks up. Just before I feel a hand grab my suit by the front and hoist me over their back, I make a weak groan of irritation. Everything is spinning and I can hear Tenko outright arguing and lashing out at whoever is carrying me off. By the time I hit the ground with a thud I'm still completely out of it and rubbing my forehead. "Alright. Now tell us about the flashlight."

 _Huh?_

I wince as I look around, seeing...the gymnasium. When I see who's the person that carried me here, I'm surprised that the person glaring down at me is Maki Harukawa. Tenko is already next to me, helping me up on my feet as I stare at Maki mildly confused. Is she that desperate for an explanation.

"It's garbage. The end," I answer, finally pulling away from Tenko to leave the gym.

The feeling of someone grabbing my arm and yanking me back with a painful grip makes me stop and turn my head.

"No, tell us for real. You don't get to run away this time," Maki sternly states, tightening her grip on my bicep to the point that my arm begins to ache at just how much pressure she's delivering. Initially all I can think about is how annoying it is that Maki is trying so hard to keep me around where I can explain things. Granted, I'm also a bit happy she recognizes I have vital information and won't let me walk away with it to "protect" me.

I eye Maki closely, enough that her grip on my arm seems to loosen slightly when a few beats pass in which I don't say anything.

 _She has a really strong grip...no, a_ _ **ridiculously**_ _strong grip. Maki Harukawa said she's the Ultimate Child Caregiver, didn't she? Now that I'm really looking at her closely, I can see her legs are toned- about as much as Tenko's. Does she work out?_

 _I mean if she likes working out that's fine and all, but I wouldn't think someone like the Ultimate Child Caregiver would be able to haul up a girl even my size, drag me from the dormitories to the school gymnasium, somehow avoid Tenko altogether the entire trek here, and then have a grip as strong as this seemingly without breaking a sweat or being out of breath._

"You can let go now with your man-grip, Harukawa. There's seriously nothing else I can tell you about that dumb flashlight. If you use it, you'll potentially lose your memories, or you'll at least lose a few of them," I say after my mental assessment of her, noting how her red eyes have narrowed even more on me after my extended silence. She seems tense and cautious now, but her hand stays locked around my arm despite.

"Ah, but this one is different!" Angie speaks up from a few feet away, waving the flashlight she happens to be holding. It's the round lighter type of flashlight, making me grimace at the memories seeing it brings up. My memory doesn't go very far back, and I presume I have those stupid flashlights to thank for that. "I asked him to explain, and he said these ones aren't the same as the ones you saw!"

"Thaaat's RIGHT!"

It isn't until then that I realize Monokuma is among the students, causing me to make an immediate face of annoyance and disgust.

"...you asked Monokuma?" I ask in mild disbelief, turning my attention to Angie like she's grown multiple heads in the span of seconds- all without brains. "You know, if I were gonna stick my arm in a starved alligators mouth and I first asked it whether it would bite me or not- I'm pretty sure it would say anything to get my arm in its mouth."

"Now, now, don't be like that! You can trust me, Miss Marble! When have I ever lied to you? I mean _actually_ lied to you? Your boyfriend here has lied to you way more either way, and you still trust _him!"_ Monokuma exclaims, turning just a bit red as he gestures to Kokichi.

"Nee-hee-hee! ...haw," Kokichi cheekily responds, completely dissolving any previous notions that he totally hated me calling his laughter "donkey-like".

"This would benefit you the most, you know! The first ones you saw us using were blackout lights, which erases memories! This here, similar to what you saw during the very last reset, was a _flashback_ light! This is why everyone remembered their Ultimate Talents and all the skills related to them! Nifty, am I right? Puhuhu~!" Monokuma chirps, wiggling his behind and pressing his paws to his cheeks.

I frown.

"If it doesn't erase anything, then why did some of their personalities change? And why are some of the things they've told me before now clashing with things they're telling me now? If you ask me, it sounds more like you're o-" I start to accuse, only to be knocked down on the gym floor from behind by a giant metal foot I quickly register to be an Exisal. Maki's grip on my arm of course has been relinquished, and although I can still breathe, it's incredibly hard to get air in from the incredible weight pushing me down onto the ground.

"Prairie!" Tenko is the first to object, racing over to my side with Gonta as the two try to lift the machine leg off of me. From what I can feel, the Exisal only presses it's foot harder down onto me.

"What are you doing? She can't handle all that weight!" Tsumugi also shouts, though she's more or less powerless to do anything other than make it known she disagrees with this.

"Hey! You don't have to-!" I hear Kaito exclaim, just before the Exisal begins to press down harder on me. All at once Tenko, Tsumugi, and Kaito quickly fall silent, a growl on Kaito's part as Gonta and Tenko reluctantly back up from the Exisal upon Monokuma's smugly motioning paw.

I hear the sound of Monosuke's chuckle coming through the speakers of the machine, causing my stomach to churn anxiously. It's been a while since I've been chastised by _them_ to be quiet, but...doesn't that mean I'm on the right track?

 _I was going to say it sounds more like they're overwriting memories. Same thing as my previous thoughts that some memories could be false. The unintentional confirmation is nice though, especially with Monokuma being so clumsy. He's just like the others here that underestimate me._

 _Kokichi is right about one thing though. I'll be able to pull a fast one on Monokuma if he keeps this up._

"You're as chatty as ever, Miss Marble~! A little _too_ chatty. I'm adding that to your rules since there's no need to bring that up this early to the other kids. Understood?" Monokuma huffs, clapping his soft paws and then setting them around his belly in a jolly manner.

"Tch! Get your stupid kub off of her already, she gets it!" Kaito eventually can't help but speak up again, this time speed walking towards me where Tenko and Gonta are. Surprisingly, Monosuke actually pulls the foot of the Exisal off of me and the three help me back up on my feet once I'm free.

"Alright, back to the main topic at hand!" Monokuma continues as I take a moment to recompose myself after being nearly crushed under the Exisal like a bug. I almost want to look to see if Rantaro is concerned at all, but I don't. Instead, I grit my teeth and just tell the three around me I'm okay since they're the one that are the most worried. "You should use the flashback light to get back your memories!"

Silence fills the gym at his comment, enough the other three Monokubs beside Monosuke's Exisal shuffle their feet and look around. Monokid looks as reserved as he's been lately, and Monodam only shuffles a little. He's staring at me again, but I try not to micro-analyze this interaction even though this is the second time he's behaved a bit strangely in my presence.

"No one's doing anything…!" Monophanie complains, somewhat miffed by the lack of reactions. "I blame Ugly's disturbance and disturbing face!"

 _"Hey, Pops, want me to kick them around until they use it? I'll kick Ugly first if you want me to! We can watch her head fly off- oh! Maybe if I kick it at the right angle, I'll make a basket too!"_ Monosuke gleefully comments from inside his Exisal, laughing at the malicious idea.

"Come on, you were all worrying about it a while ago, weren't you? About not remembering how you came to this school...well, save for Miss Marble. She knows that much. But, but! If you use that flashback light, you can remember that, and more! Think about it!"

"Just by using this light?" Shuichi inquires finally, appearing somewhat dubious from beside Rantaro and Kokichi.

"And when you mention those blackout lights Prairie said you kept using on us in the beginning...those are what took our memories. You guys erased everything and now you're just going to give them back to us like that?" Kaito asks next, pointing out some pretty interesting points there. Giving us our memories back _now_ really doesn't make sense now that I'm thinking about it too. How someone as simple minded as Kaito noticed that, I don't know, but it's a great point to call Monokuma and the Monokubs out on.

"We didn't erase anything important! My darling kubs only erased what they screwed up in the beginnings of the killing game! Things that would have just _confused_ you! ...Although they _shouldn't_ have screwed up in the first place even once," Monokuma growls, flicking out his claws and casting a ghastly glare the monokubs way so they all flinch in understanding. Similarly, even the Exisal shudders from Monosuke's intimidated state. "Miss Marble can confirm that! You all had memories from before you arrived at the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles!"

Monokuma looks my way, and I can feel this foreboding sensation at the look he throws me. I can practically feel the weight of the message in his look, similar to the weight of the Exisal when it was pressing me down into the ground.

 _Yes or no. A simple answer- without any comments or speculation in front of the others._

Instead, I just turn away and give him my back defiantly.

"Puhuhu~! You really hate me, don't you, Miss Marble? Don't worry! That opinion won't change anytime soon! Hate me as much as you want, I forgive you!"

"...I don't believe it," Maki interjects, hovering close by where I can see her glaring _my_ way when I turn towards her. Clearly her words are directed at me as much as they are to Monokuma. "Any of it. There's no way a flashlight could just bring back our memories or even take them away."

Monokuma cocks his head to the side at that. "You know, I bet someone who doesn't know about phones would say something like, 'there's no way I can use something like this to talk to people who are far away'. Well you see, that flashback light has the power to cure a variety of symptoms, including memory loss."

 _Or_ _ **cause**_ _it. I really hope these guys aren't buying into anything Monokuma is saying, he's only sugarcoating it so it sounds like it's to our benefit._

"The light emitted from the flashback light stimulates the basal ganglia and the hippocampal formation, affecting not only your memories but the physical condition- wow, explaining it is exhausting. Anyways, that's about the gist of it!"

Notably, a couple of the students make faces and scoff at Monokuma's terrible delivery to convince us. Maybe it's for the better, so long as the flashback light looks as unappealing to everyone else as possible, I don't mind whatever Monokuma trips up on. If I'm right about it overwriting our memories, that means the more they are exposed to it, later it'll bite me in the behind when I try to explain what's true and what's false. Besides, it's hard to argue with a "memory"- why would we ever question ourselves?

I've glossed over a bit of the conversation, but the gist is clearly speculation on what to do.

"I just want to point out that there's always the possibility that it's a neuralyzer. You know, those things they use in _'Men in Black'..."_

"That's from a movie, right? We're talking about real life over here, you know?" Maki comments, clearly off-put by Tsumugi's comment until Tsumugi adds, "So then you don't believe Prairie whatsoever when she said we had our memories erased four times?"

Everyone falls silent.

"B-But she knew my name before I told it to her! She knew quite a few of our names before the fact, doesn't that-" Kiibo tries to defend me, but he's quickly cut down by Maki's words. She's much more vocal than ever before, and honestly I'm not sure if it's too bad even though she's obviously against trusting me.

"She could just be pretending to be something she's not. She could have had all that information beforehand from working with Monokuma and she's one of the only people here we know full well has the financial backing to possibly build a place like this as a sick joke, considering her stardom. Besides, Monokuma and the Monokubs knew who we were beforehand too. You guys are all way too trusting of her just because she looks cute," Maki states, returning her gaze towards me.

"Alright, we'll regardless of trusting Prairie Dog, what are we doing then? I think we better not use it," Kokichi inserts his opinion, pouting a bit in concern as he looks down sadly. It's hard to tell whether he actually believes that, but his reaction and those teary eyes are _definitely_ fake. "I'm kind of scared it might have some bad effects on our bodies, too…"

"Naaa, I'm also worried about the effects it might have on my magical power," Himiko mumbles, though she doesn't come to my defense trust-wise.

Now that I'm listening, it doesn't seem anyone is about to speak up on my behalf whatsoever. Only Tenko seems to make an obvious point to deny the idea of me having an alliance with Monokuma, making a face at Maki for her words.

Rantaro is silent. Shuichi is silent. Korekiyo and Kirumi are silent.

 _Don't everyone speak up at once. Whatever though, if the people I thought believed in me don't want to trust me now that Maki has piled suspicion on me, then I guess I understand. It's...fine. I'll just keep going as I am now. I need to get us all out of here alive._

Everyone gives an opinion on using the flashback light and I can slowly feel my spirit and confidence wavering inside me as I watch everyone converse among themselves, completely leaving me out of the conversation. There's this feeling in my chest and gut, heavy like a magnet threatening to bring me down against the Earth. At first I don't really know what it is, but then it clicks in the back of my mind.

What a pathetic feeling to have right now, loneliness. My whole world is here and only one person seems to want to be a part of it.

"Prairie! Shuichi! What do you two think? You want to give it a try too?" Kaito boldly speaks up out of nowhere, causing both my head and Shuichi's to look his way. Shuichi stutters a little and doesn't manage to get anything out before Kaito is suddenly answering his own question with a declaration. "Alriiight, then it's decided! Guess we should go ahead and try it out!"

"Eh?" Tsumugi squints a little, reaching up to wipe her glasses a bit with her sleeve as she looks closely at Kaito. "How is it decided exactly? Everyone's saying it's too dangerous right now…?"

"...Sheesh, you're all freakin' out way too much. Well, I guess it's only normal to freak out, though. This is a real weird situation we're in, after all," Kaito speaks up, for once sounding like he's about to say something useful for a change. I listen closely, wondering if whatever he has to say will change my mind. "You know...ya don't accomplish anything by just runnin' away."

... _I am not convinced by those words. My fight and the way out of this hellhole isn't here, I can feel it. This flashback light has to just be a distraction to bring them into Monokuma's grasp even more, like how he orchestrated the events leading up to Kaede's murder._

"In any situation, you gotta be prepared for some really weird shit if ya really wanna accomplish anything. If we stop now just because it's a _little_ dangerous, we'll never win against Monokuma no matter how hard we try!" Kaito continues, bringing me to some dangerous conclusions.

 _He sounds just like Kaede did before and Monokuma or the monokubs haven't tried to interject or change our minds...if this is what Monokuma wants, we_ _ **shouldn't**_ _do it in extension, isn't that right?_

"If we want to win against him, then this conversation ain't gonna go anywhere unless we decide what to do first, right? If we just back down now, then I bet my future kid's gonna be the kind of man who'd just back down from these kinds of situations, too!"

 _Now he's completely veering off topic- oh well. I'm unconvinced, so I'll be leaving._

The look on my face must say it all, because Kaito sighs when he looks my way. At least he's not going to force me to stay by the looks of it.

"Well, if the rest of you still wanna just run away that bad, then go ahead and leave on your own. I won't stop ya or blame ya." I don't quite like how he frames it, but I turn to leave anyways without fighting his assumptions.

"Okaaay~, we get it. Well then, if you'll excuse Prairie Dog and I~" Kokichi suddenly appears at my side, unexpectedly linking arms with me despite the grimace I make when he does. Before I take another step though, I pause and frown when something makes itself known in my mind. Unlinking my arm from Kokichi to turn around, I'm a bit surprised to see Maki a bit closer than I remember her the last time I was looking at the group. I brush the strange thing off though when Kokichi speaks up again with a smile. I don't think he himself is actually planning to leave...is he? I can't tell. "...Hey, what's wrong, Mousey? Aren't we leaving?

"Hey, if you didn't trust me, why did you waste my time dragging me here to tell you about the flashback light? Based on what you're saying, then you wouldn't believe anything coming out of my mouth," I point out with a scowl, mildly miffed that I'm here in the first place. Her reason for dragging me out here makes no sense if she wouldn't believe any explanation I gave regarding the flashlight. Did she just bring me here to try and shame me in front of everyone?

"...I did tell you that you don't get to run away this time," Maki states to my confusion, up until I notice what's in her hands.

She flicks the button of the flashback light on.

 _ **End of 3.4 - Unsupported**_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _New record for longest chapter! 12K words! :D_

 _I should have cut it off earlier, but it wasn't a natural stopping point ;w;_

 _So deal with it, lol_


	34. 3:5 - Public Enemy Number One

_**3.5 - Public Enemy Number One**_

The click of Maki switching on the flashback light happens sooner than I can do anything, like close my eyes or cover them with my hands. Technically speaking, just covering my eyes would pretty much do the trick to avoid the repercussions of the light, wouldn't it?

There's a stinging pain in my retinas and I can hear everyone around me make a sound of objection at the shock of the unexpected flash. Someone's hand grabs my arm, probably Kokichi since he's the one that was next to me.

Unlike with the blackout lights or the flashback light from earlier on, I note that I don't fully pass out when this one hits me. Since it's definitely hitting me now though, there's a moment in which I feel a fleeting sense of hope that maybe I'll see someone familiar- even if it's a lie.

I'm not sure what to expect, especially with how Monokuma described the flashback light is supposed to work. I don't remember anything and nothing comes together in my mind. The stabbing pain of the light lingers and I feel weightless for a moment, blinking rapidly and realizing I have my hands over my face.

I can't see anyone and something feels wrong with my eyes, but I can hear a conversation begin to pick up. In favor of listening, I decidedly choose to ignore how bad I feel.

"That's right! I remember! In order to escape from the Ultimate Hunt, I willingly erased my memories, and-" Shuichi begins to babble out loud, followed closely by Kaito asking in concern, "W-Wait, a sec-! Did you just say 'Ultimate Hunt'?"

"You both...in that case, I presume everyone else also went through the same thing?" Kirumi inquires, her voice momentarily sounding far away as a wave of dizziness rolls over me.

 _Nope, I think I'm going to throw up. I don't think I can stay here, I'd rather vomit in the comfort of solace than in front of toads that hardly care about me, thanks._

I say that about them, but of course it's not their fault they don't trust me. I've brought it upon myself and Monokuma has made it so it falls this way. In fact, maybe I'm just walking straight into Monokuma's tricks like Kaede did. Maybe he _wants_ to isolate me so I'll die for real this round.

Maybe there's no way out of this. And...maybe it's better I die now that the others don't like me as much, just so it's easier for them to avoid mourning for me.

Yanking my arm fiercely from the person next to me, hearing a boyish whine of disapproval that notifies me it was indeed Kokichi holding on to me. With my hands still covering my face, I manage to peer through my fingers to see where I'm going without uncovering anything as I turn to leave. My vision is reddish and blurry…

Moving my hand a bit, my heart twists anxiously when I realize my face is sticky and smells of copper.

 _Ugh, not again! Good thing I haven't uncovered my face, I'd give everyone a heart attack if they saw the state I'm in...crap. Last time I bled from my eyes like this was when I abused my intuition on Sudoku, not when the last flashback light was used on us. In fact, I only bled from my nose a little that time! ...Does that mean I should avoid flashback lights at all cost? Will the next time they use one result in a worse reaction?_

"Prairie Dog, where are we going?" I hear the voice of a rat behind me, causing me to cringe since I can't exactly answer him at the moment.

 _Okay, if I go to my room, having Kokichi following me would be great because he could unlock the door. However...he'll probably follow me in. And I don't fancy getting in the shower fully dressed because he says "no" to leaving. I guess I'll just clean my face in the bathroom and...he'll watch? Sadly, I'm not exactly in any state to chase him off or anything._

"Hey, didn't Shuichi say Prairie said she knew what the Ultimate Hunt was but refused to tell him about it?" I hear Ryoma point out, making me freeze in my tracks and internally wince when Kokichi 'ooo's behind me like a kid in school whose friend's just been called to the principal's office.

"I guess now would be a good time to address that, huh, Prairie Dog? What's the Ultimate Hunt?" Said rat questions, completely unaware of my state.

My monopad tings from a new notification.

With a hand saturated in blood, I reach down and pull my monopad out of my belt, keeping my back to everyone including Kokichi. As I turn it on and go through the notifications, I see there's a new addition to the "Ugly Rules" for things I'm not allowed to speak about.

 _\- The incorrect idea that their memories are fake._

"Puhuhu~ Looks like you all safely regaine-" Monokuma and the monokubs, who I guess disappeared before Maki clicked the flashback light on, reappears a little to the left of me, making me look up towards him. His pause has me a bit surprised, but in moments my brain clicks the quiet response in its place. Seems like Monokuma himself had _no idea_ the flashback light would cause such a reaction. "Oh...oh dear. That's unfortunate. Oh well, you'll be fine! You're a trooper, Miss Marble, this should be nothing for you! Just slap a band-aid on and you'll be okay!"

"What about _THAT_ looks fine to you?!" Monokid suddenly snaps at Monokuma, ending his once extended silence as he gapes at my face.

"Oh God, that's _disgusting!_ She's ACTUALLY ugly for real this time!" Monosuke hollers, taking off his glasses to wipe them clear before looking again and visibly cringing. "Nope, that didn't help."

"Ex _cuse_ me! Are you implying you think she wasn't Ugly before?! _Are you?!"_ Monophanie demands, eyes piercing like lasers into Monosuke until the yellow and white toned bear is

shrinking back and shaking his head desperately under Monophanie's fiery gaze.

A sharp snapping sound suddenly echoes in the gym, silencing all interactions.

The sound makes everyone look my way as I toss aside the two halves of my monopad and listen to the clattering of the pieces echo behind me wherever they may land. Moments after when the other teens register what I broke, I hear a collective chorus of gasps and shouts of horror. I always did wonder what it would feel like to break my monopad on my femur bone like those burly men in movies do with wood planks and other stuff...as I suspected from the beginning, it's incredibly satisfying.

"..." Having decided on facing Monokuma now rather than run away, as Maki and Kaito would accuse me of doing, I wipe the copious blood that's slowly streaming from my eyes and turn my head to look at the monochromatic toned bear.

"S-She's not going to do something else crazy now, is she?" Kiibo asks nervously from behind, but he goes more or less ignored by the other students as I stare at Monokuma and keep my back to the students.

After a moment of silence and choosing my words carefully after breaking the monopad, I open my mouth.

"I know what you're doing, Monokuma," I speak up as more blood leaks from my eyes while I speak. "So the rules say you're supposed to kill me for that, right? Okay. So kill me then."

A wave of silence passes over us all, making a chill run up my spine. Something tells me that despite this being such a dangerous gamble, Monokuma won't do anything. He's stated that I can still be disposed of from the killing game even though I'm entertaining from the status quo of the killing games, but...something tells me I won't be removed this early. It's just a feeling, one that very likely could be wrong and end up in my own downfall.

However...let's test the waters.

"H-Hey, Prairie, maybe you shouldn't…" Shuichi stammers, trailing off without continuing. I can't tell if he's stopping because he's scared of saying more or curious to see what happens next. It's probably the former, but I can't bring myself to step away from my apathy to care which it really is.

"Nyehh...she already broke her monopad...I don't think she can do much more to get any worse of a punishment," Himiko points out, her voice lazy but still sounding like there is a quiver somewhere between her words.

"...so dramatic…" I hear Maki comment, but I ignore her unnecessary comment. I'm not standing here bleeding from my eyes because it's fun. Either way though, Monokuma hasn't said anything following me breaking a rule, nor has he ordered any of the monokubs to do anything either. Similarly the four bears behind him all seem visibly restless by his lack of action, and I can't help but want to push a little more.

"Just say the word, Father...anytime now will be fine…! She did just break a rule and-" Monosuke tries to get Monokuma's attention until I walked towards them. Notably, the four kubs step back hesitantly, but Monokuma remains rooted where he is until I stop in front of him.

"Small Prairie, please stop…!" I hear Gonta beg, clearly anxious by my erratic behavior.

It's not erratic though. Well, not exactly.

Admittedly, I'm upset. Not _mad_ but rather disappointed. I didn't want to be pulled into the group flashback light show, but for a moment...I was hoping. I wanted to see someone for just a moment, even with the possibility it could be a lie. Maybe my parents or even some siblings if I had them. Maybe my extended family or my friends. I could have been happy even just seeing this _Aika_ person.

But there was nothing. I should have expected that there wouldn't be anything- if they didn't work before, of course they wouldn't suddenly work now.

Second...I'm doing what I do best. Pushing Monokuma's buttons to find his weak spots. The others don't like it, I'm sure.

I don't hear anything from Rantaro either...despite that I always hate hearing him scold me and demand I stop pushing Monokuma, I can't help but suddenly miss his annoying reprimands. I want to hear him try to stop me.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have been so non-compliant with him...this is stupid. I'm stupid._

"Rantaro, say something…" I hear someone murmur from far behind me, sounding like Tsumugi. "Why are you just letting her do this? Don't you care?"

"Hey…" I speak, lowering my voice to barely a whisper. "It's okay to kill me now if you want. The mystery is probably not as interesting as you think, you know...just trample me to death with an Exisal and toss my body wherever you threw Kaede's. Easy and less of a problem for you, right?"

Even though I'm giving the bear plenty of time to make a decision- hell, to even attack me right here and right now, he still doesn't seem to respond. Instead, he just continues to stare at me quietly as if contemplating something. When he _does_ finally speak though, I'm of course disappointed.

"...Good thing I'm the headmaster! I'm willing to overlook this pre-menstrual induced violence and mood swing. You ought to know your place! Now...run along."

"I didn't ask you to _'overlook'_ it, I asked you to kill me," I interrupt Monokuma, loud enough for the other students to hear. He's looking down on me again like I'm not a threat and talking down to me like always. Does he really not have any worries about me ruining things for him? Or does he have so much confidence in his fortified Ultimate Academy cage in that he's absolutely sure I'll never find us a way out?

 _I guess it's up to me to figure that out myself._

"Puhuhu~ You know, this is what I love the most about you, Miss Marble...you just tell the other students to 'suck it' and deal with any punishment they might receive for your actions. What a renegade you are! You'd think with how holier than thou you are, you'd be a little more concerned and careful about them with their lives on the line."

"She's joking, right?" I hear Ryoma query, now starting to have a hint of concern in his voice.

"Atua is with her, blasphemer or not! Do not worry~!" Angie pipes up, not sounding concerned at all. She must have some strong faith to think that without the knowledge I know of.

"Yeah, but is Atua with _us_ if Monokuma's saying that? We could get in trouble for Prairie's aggression…" Tsumugi points out reluctantly, sounding a lot like she doesn't want to even think about it.

"Regardless of that, this is a sight to behold. Prairie Marble is quite the fearless individual. She's had plenty of interviews in her time outside where she's reported she can simply 'turn off' her fear. I figured she was possibly exaggerating, but it would seem not…" Korekiyo adds his input, equally unconcerned and more intrigued than anything else. "Incredible."

"Rantaro-" Tsumugi tries again.

"Quit asking me," Rantaro simply answers, impressively ending it at that.

For a moment, the scary confirmation of hearing that he doesn't care about me anymore shakes me to the core, but I quickly smother it in favor of collecting information.

Monokuma doesn't say anything else, watching me carefully.

 _...I could technically egg him on more if I try attacking him with my knife, but I don't want to go too far. Last thing I want is the others to think my violent behavior is something that can cross into "murdery" territory, or for Monokuma to wing it and go through on the promise that he'll hurt the others for my constant disobedience._

I close my eyes momentarily and lift a hand to rub my forehead-

-and I hear Monokuma suddenly jump back, making my eyes snap open to see him a good few feet away from me. He's still in front of the monokubs, but noticeably out of arm's reach.

"Eh?" Shuichi questions curiously before silence fills the gym again.

 _Well, that's a welcoming reaction in comparison to the rest of his responses of silence. I guess that's my cue to leave and clean up._

I stand up again, a bit wobbly as I finally turn to look at the other teenagers.

"If you guys want to know about the Ultimate Hunt...don't ask me," I notify the group gaping my way, watching as some eyes widen and some go pale at the sight of the blood seeping from my eyes.

No one answers or objects, so I resume with heading for the gym exit as the monokubs whisper and noticeably jitter restlessly. When I finally exit the gym and stumble a little into the quiet hallway, I eventually slow down enough to see if I can hear them say anything.

"...So you guys are willing to trust a mess like her then?" Maki inquires, her voice reaching me despite the distance I've walked from the gym doors.

"S-She's not suicidal, she just-" Tenko tries to defend me, even though I'm sure she knows it's useless too. Still, the sentiments are appreciated and her efforts are heartwarming.

"She's the reason the killing game started. If she wasn't so untrustworthy and didn't hide so much, she wouldn't have become a target in the first place."

"Miss Marble's not _allowed_ to talk about everything! We've made sure of it! Besides, you guys don't get to cop out of the spicy mystery just because you have a walking cheat sheet in your ranks!" Monokuma objects, sounding fired up once again even though I know exactly what I saw in the gym.

 _Monokuma, whether he admits it or not, is a little scared of what I'm capable of, isn't he?_

"Furthermore…" Monokuma continues, laughing a little. "I've got your _first motive_ ready for the next murder! You're gonna love this~!"

 _He's already got a motive set? Kaede only died_ _ **yesterday**_ … _!_

With a heavy heart, I continue to listen, biting my lip to see what he could have possibly made to be the newest motive for murder. Another time limit maybe? It worked last time…

"B-But Prairie just left! This will put her at a disadv-" Kaito starts to object, until I hear the sound of an Exisal stamp its foot loud enough to make me flinch even where I am outside in the hall. "Don't just cut me off like that, four eyes!"

 _"We make the rules here, bub! And don't call me four eyes, at least I've still got more brains than your spacey ass, starboy!"_ Monosuke announces, followed by Kokichi's laughter at the jab.

"We're only telling you _because_ that little wart is gone! This is a kindness we're doing for Miss Marble, she's been through a lot don't you think? Or if you want, you can keep piling up all the stress in the world on top of her, like her Greek Yogurt boyfriend there does! Better for us either way!" Monokuma continues, clearly an attempt to make the others feel bad about it.

 _It's guaranteed that Monokuma knows I'm still listening. He knows hearing this will hurt me, wont he? Or...is he using_ _ **the others**_ _to hurt me? Like how no one but Kaede told me of the tunnel, is he trying to prove to me that the others won't tell me outright what this motive is either? That they'll continue to look down on me?_

I resist the urge to kick or punch something, instead biting my lip until I can't feel it. I'm not sure if the blood I'm tasting is the blood coming from my eyes or because I bit my lip too hard. This is what Monokuma does best, I guess. Make the players of the killing game feel even more hopeless as time passes.

"Now, for the first motive! This rule will remain active throughout the killing game! For whoever manages to kill Prairie Marble...gets to graduate scot-free! No need to wait for a perfect moment, kill her whenever you like! Kill her in front of her friends and lovers! Bring your kids! Either way, there's NO class trial and NO punishment! Puhuhu~!"

 _That's...going to put a very big target on my back. Shoot, I figured Monokuma was going to pit the others against me, but this is_ _ **way**_ _more literal than I thought._

A wave of silence crosses everyone in the gym, but it's eventually broken by loud gasps

"Wait, so is she still untrustworthy, or not? Doesn't this mean she's on our side if Monokuma is pitting us against her?" Kiibo asks, his voice very clearly making it known just how confused and worried he is by this new development.

"No. With Monokuma, who knows what he's up to. I still refuse to trust Prairie Marble. If you guys want to though, don't let me stop your idiocy," I hear Maki remark coldly, prompting me to grimace.

"Ahh, I'm glad I'm not the only one that absolutely detests that little bitch~" I hear Monophanie add cheerfully, which only makes my grimace deepen. Of course the pink parasite jumps on the bandwagon as fast as that...

"Nee-hee-hee! You're sure quick to point fingers, aren't you, Maki? Even though you're the only one that won't let anybody in your Ultimate Lab!" Kokichi calls her out, making my nerves jump in excitement.

 _She won't let anyone into her Ultimate Lab? Why? What the heck does the Ultimate Child Caregiver need to hide from the rest of us? Well, she's not there right now, she's here in the gymnasium._

 _...Let's see what she's hiding then._

Maybe I should be more considerate of her privacy. If anything, maybe _I would_ be more understanding if she hadn't pissed me off by pointing her finger at me and making me out to be even more of a villain in front of everybody.

Except I'm not feeling so considerate right now. I'm not at all sympathetic or understanding. The only thing I feel is extreme anger, and by god, I'm going to find out what _she's_ hiding if she's going to accuse me of hiding things.

I'm already running full speed, ignoring the blood in my eyes as I climb the stairs two at a time. If I go and wash my face off right now, I'll waste what precious time I have of Maki being away from her Ultimate Lab. Chances are, she'll head straight back to stand in front of her Ultimate Lab…

I glance back over my shoulder, just to make sure she isn't at my heels ready to stab me or something. There's thankfully no one behind me, notifying me that I'll have a reasonable head start to get to the Ultimate Labs on the extended second floor.

 _Great, but I'll need to fly through the rest of the other rooms to find Maki's and that'll definitely slow me down. That's a given, I guess...it's what I get for pissing off Rantaro to the point he just plucked me from the Earth like the giant he is and stuck me in a room for "time out"._

I move quickly, racing past the Ultimate Maid's Lab and the now opened chest in the hall Kokichi and Rantaro stopped me from opening. It's one with three moths or butterflies, either or, painted in a lighter blue color that contrasts the deep blue color of the door itself. This door speaks for itself and I just race past it after checking it off to be the Ultimate Entomologist's Lab.

To my surprise, I almost come to a slow when I see another set of stairs leading to the third floor, only to then speed up and race up those. I'm out of breath but I ignore the strain on my body and the crusting of the blood that makes every expression I make feel like my skin is being stretched.

Next room- a black door with a tennis racket drawn on it in white. Obviously Ryoma's probably undesired Ultimate Tennis Player's Lab. Huh, I guess I didn't have to waste any time going into any spare rooms- Monokuma's made it pretty easy to distinguish what room is what based on the drawing at the front of the door.

The next room...has nothing on it, so I stop in my tracks momentarily.

 _Who's room? This could either be it, or it could be the wrong room and I'll be wasting my time. It's in an awkward place in comparison to most of the other Ultimate Labs, down a few feet of a hallway where I could get trapped in there if I don't hurry. I'll just open the door and-_

So I open the door to the Ultimate Child Caregiver's room...and feel my stomach plummet when I see what's inside.

Weapons. Guns. Daggers. Saws. Axes.

For a second, I almost feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Hell, there's even a target practice system near the back with human bust targets. This is _NOT_ the Ultimate Child Caregiver's Lab…! This is more like...the Ultimate _Murderous Fiend's_ lab! And it's definitely not Rantaro _,_ what the heck was _he_ worried about?!

I glance back over my shoulder and dare to take a step in, heart racing and brain insisting I don't. This is a dangerous room, and it's clear that it belongs to a dangerous person. A person I've been glaring at for the past hours for dragging me to the gymnasium and exposing me to that stupid flashback light- okay, never mind. I'm still angry, regardless of whether she's the Ultimate Murderous Fiend or not.

There's a bunch of suitcases, one which I grab and open up to see what's inside. My insides coil up and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I see some kind of syringe gun, equipped with a needle and a glass vial of unknown contents to fit under the firing nozzle. Both are set in a velvety black filler, likely to keep them from being damaged.

"God…" I mutter under my breath, before eyeing one of the small handguns on the wall and allowing my eyes to dart down to the metal gated cabinet a little to the side beneath the display walls.

With a heavy heart, I hurry on over and pull it open, grimacing when I see several different guns and immediately zero in on the black handguns sitting there for the taking. There's even a few set of boxed ammo beside the guns, and I quickly locate which bullets go with the handgun.

 _...I could use this for protection. To help the others. It can also be proof to show the others I'm not the only one hiding something. This can help us. This is..._

I reach out a hand for the gun…

…

 _No. Guns won't work on any of the Exisals and I don't want to shoot the monokubs. Not to mention, regardless of how many times I shoot Monokuma, he'll just keep coming back anyways with no problem. The only thing taking a gun will do is hurt me and the people I want to save._

I close the metal cabinet without taking anything and look around one more time.

 _As mad as I am...I don't want to stoop to_ _ **her**_ _level and make everyone villainize her.. She can hide whatever stupid secrets she wants, but I'll be ready if she tries to hurt a single hair on anyone's head. And I won't need a cheap gun to do it._

With that said, I turn around and leave.

To my utmost comfort, Maki doesn't appear behind me or catch me in the act of fleeing the scene of the crime. She doesn't even see me coming down from the second floor as I make my way all the way back to the first floor's boys bathroom. I don't see anyone on my way down, so they might still be in the Gymnasium…

 _In my efforts to find out Maki's secret, I probably missed a ton on that motive Monokuma made against me...shoot. I let my anger get the better of me all over again. The only benefit of figuring out Maki was the unofficial Ultimate Murderous Fiend was that I at least know she's one of the more likely ones to kill someone._

 _And the trade-off was the benefit of knowing which teens were more likely to kill_ _ **me**_ _for the benefit of leaving the killing game like Miu did._

Clearly leaving to chase Maki's secret is the stupidest thing I could have done in the context of the killing game.

 _Stupid me…_

I sigh and walk on over to a sink, turning on a faucet to start cleaning my eyes with the lukewarm water. It's unlikely that I'll soon bring myself to enter the girls bathroom after what happened between Kaede and Miu in there. Just looking at the door makes me feel sick...and then again, the boys bathroom isn't as intimidating as it was before, so I guess I don't really care about being caught in here anymore.

I'm in the middle of rinsing off soap and blood from my face when I hear the bathroom door open up, followed by footsteps casually making their way in. I'd appreciate silence and privacy after Maki basically single-handedly broke everyone's trust in me.

"Nishishi! You scared everyone, Prairie Dog! You looked like you got possessed by a demon or something!" Kokichi laughs, making me scoff a little. Way to insult and praise me all in the same breath. He sure knows how to make someone feel special. "I mean, you even surprised even _Monokuma!_ Wow!...but I guess that could just be acting too. You're even more of an enigma than the Ultimate Nobody!"

"Don't call him that," I snap, surprised that it's flown out of my mouth so fast.

"What? You insult him all the time!" Kokichi presses, making me splash more water over my face without looking up. "Or do you prefer to be the only one calling him names? You're so _possessive~"_

I make a face and then lift my head to wipe water out my eyes so I can see myself in the mirror. Blinking a little, I can see small red globules forming on my waterline, making me groan and throw more water at my face when the blood starts to roll down my face more. I figured it would have stopped after the time I spent running around, but clearly it decided to start up again after I got off the crusted blood.

"God, I hate those stupid flashlights…" I grumble, only to feel him unexpectedly hold my curly hair back when I duck down a little to the sink. I pause, frowning in thought before eventually shrugging it off and splashing my face with fresh water.

"So in the end, Runturdo didn't give a shit after your performance, hm?"

 _Yes, Kokichi, please pour more salt into the wound. It's not like I'm going through some crap right now, no. I could use more emotional distress, thank you for your consideration._

 _"That_ wasn't a performance. I needed information, and I got it," I openly tell him the truth since I know I can't lie to him to save my own life. Kokichi chuckles at that, like he doesn't quite believe me. He doesn't say anything else on the matter though, and I don't try to add to it. "Why are you here anyways? How'd you know I'd still be in the bathroom?"

"Nobody else wants to keep Prairie Dog company- save for Tenko. _So!_ I'm here to keep your life nice and spicy. Oh, also, I'm only here to take a massive leak, I've been holding it since we entered the gym, it SUCKS!" Kokichi claims with a little bouncing on his heels to push his point, causing me to stare at him long and hard from where I am leaned over the sink with a dripping wet face.

"...you don't look like you need to pee badly, _liar_ ," I accuse, causing him to stop and grin.

"Oh, did I get caught? Nishishi, I don't need to pee, you're absolutely right! Besides, I'm not peeing with a girl in the bathroom! That's perverted," Kokichi adds, still holding my hair in his hand when I lift my head and look in the mirror again, relaxing when I don't see anymore blood leaking from my eyes.

"That's better," I comment upon ignoring his accusations, only to realize he's still holding my brown curls in his grip. I frown, looking at him through the mirror. He's not smiling anymore, instead staring quietly at me with a familiar expressionless look I still am unable to decipher. Is he contemplating another of his 'I'm totally going to murder you' pranks? "If you're gonna do something to try and make me mistrust you again, can you please get it over with already? Otherwise, I could use some help getting into my dorm room after this."

Kokichi suddenly grins and drops my hair...before sticking a flower in it with a head pat to boot as it rests over my ear. This one is a dark red flower with gold yellow pistons in the middle, and I have no idea where this idiot got it from.

Caught off guard even though he's done this before, I throw up my hands over my face with a groan as my face starts to turn red. It's not as warm as usual, and Kokichi points this out so I know I'm not crazy.

"There! You look less like a zombie with that rosy complexion now!" He claims proudly, only to pause and take a seat on the sink next to the one I'm using. "Just so you know...I know you're kinda cocky and you think you're invincible or something, but you better be smarter about it. You escaped death once- and the more you keep rubbing it in people's faces, the more likely someone will want you dead for real~!"

I wait for him to say more, but he just chuckles after a moment and smiles back at me.

 _...Is that the closest he'll get to telling me about it? The fact that an entire motive is dedicated to having me become the best target for the killing game?_

"It's not that I'm…" I start to deny, but falter with a sigh since I know what had been about to come out of my mouth was a lie. "Whatever. Besides, I'm sure people _already_ want me dead for real, regardless of my arrogance."

"...Prairie, are you afraid to die?" Kokichi asks next, even though the answer is pretty obvious.

"Of course. I don't want to die," I comment, prompting Kokichi to swing his feet playfully from where he's seated. Hmm...maybe if I had lied and said "no", he'd have been annoyed enough to leave…

"So, Prairie Dog…" I grimace, considering he hadn't used my nickname in his last breath. And here I'd been hoping he'd have dropped the stupid "Prairie Dog" thing. "Wha'd you see when the flashback light went off?" He asks with a cute innocent smile, causing me to look towards him as I grab a washcloth I previously snatched out of the supply closet to dry my face.

He's openly fishing for information out of me _already?_ Jeez, he probably only sticks around me because I'm a wellspring of clues. I guess I don't blame him though.

"You know, you keep asking for information from me and then saying you think it's all an act. So which is it then? Technically like Maki said, I could be lying." Kokichi just snorts in amusement at that, grinning and crossing his arms.

"Both. Prairie Dog, tell me a lie right now," Kokichi asks, to which I infuriatingly feel my cheeks immediately burn hot red before I've even _thought_ of a lie. At the sight, he throws his head back and laughs. "Hah! Don't feel so embarrassed! It's not your fault you utterly suck at lying to me."

My temper sparks a little at first, but then my brain zeros in on the way he says that _last_ part that I can't stop myself from blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. If he didn't just slightly emphasize that last part, everything would probably be fine. But I guess that's too much to ask, isn't it?

"I don't have a crush on you!" I shout defensively, already knowing this is a _big_ mistake when Kokichi raises a single eyebrow and then crosses his arms with a grin.

"I never said you did," he simply states. "I've only been messing with you, Prairie Dog."

...And now I feel like a complete idiot for bringing it up unnecessarily out of nowhere.

"You know, Prairie Dog...you shouldn't say things like that so openly. You feel me?" Kokichi asks, causing my cheeks to start tingling in shame at the fact I'm getting scolded by _him_ of all people.

"Say things like what?" I try and dismiss my defensiveness. "I don't like you."

"Sure," he drawls casually, rolling his eyes playfully and making an aloof gesture with his hand before his grin suddenly gets...uncomfortably hostile. "The more you make me believe you have even a sliver of feelings for me, the more likely I'll just use it against you for my own benefit."

…

"Dumb," I bluntly answer to his threat, not believing him as per usual.

Instead of laughing and waving it off like he's done a few times up to this point, he jumps off of the sink towards me to the point that I have to step back when he leans forward.

"Prairie Dog, do I look like the kind of guy that wants a relationship? That _needs_ a relationship? That needs even _friends?"_

My heart skips a beat when I find him stepping closer, causing me to step back again. It's just like when we first met, when he would advance on me to the point we crossed the entire gym because he wouldn't let up and I wouldn't stop retreating. However, this time it's clearly not just a little joke like it was before.

"Do I look like someone that gives a single shit about someone dying here? Because to tell you the truth, I don't care about anyone here. I don't care about Kiiboy, about Shuichi...I don't care about _you._ That's not a lie. As a matter of fact, the only thing I really care about is this whole Killing Game! It's great! What a way to spice up life, don't you think? Or well, I guess _end_ it. Nee-hee-hee!"

My backside bumps into a wall and Kokichi is quick to cage me against it with narrowed violet eyes of glee. It's darker in this part of the bathroom than where the sinks were, giving his features some depth and shadow. If anything, he looks even more menacing than ever, but he still doesn't threaten me like I'm expecting. Instead, my heart lurches up to my throat when he moves in closer and snickers as a wave of warmth I managed to quell moments before eventually takes residence over my features once again.

Even though I'm partly red from embarrassment, there's another part I can tell stems directly from rage. A growing rage I'm bound to snap under at any moment, especially when he reaches up to take my chin and make me face him.

"You know, it would be great if you were to die for me. That's a very romantic notion, don't you think? Plus, that's probably all you'll ever be good for considering how much you push Monokuma," Kokichi pushes, evidently getting even closer to the point that I feel like I'm a magnet against the wall trying to get away from him. I can feel his stupid body heat and I can feel his stupid breath warming my frostbitten cheeks from the bathroom air conditioning on full arctic blast. We're even closer than we were that time he pretended to be stuck in the tall grass of the courtyard.

His words distract me momentarily though. To die for him...is he possibly referring to how I'm an easy way out of here? Even though he doesn't know that I know about the "Kill Prairie" motive? Or did he change his mind after that motive was announced and is now considering _actually_ killing me?

 _I guess I'll never really know when the issue is concerning Kokichi Oma, but for now…_

With a self control I'm sure Rantaro would be proud of, I plant both hands on Kokichi's shoulders and push him back a few feet so I can get my personal space back. Even though I didn't resort to violence, I still throw him a dark glare he doesn't flinch under.

"If you ever get that close to me again, Rat Face, I'll break your nuts." I comment as I make an effort to wave off all the heat from my face and watch him turn his body side to side playfully. Any hints of the previous evil persona he tapped into is now gone, leaving behind a stupid and innocent looking boy with a cute face and sparkling violet eyes. He's totally playing up his cuteness right now purposefully...what a rat. "And just so you know, not everyone that likes someone is willing to do _anything_ for their crush. W-Which doesn't include me, because I definitely don't have a crush on you."

"You keep saying that, and I believe it less and less every time you open your mouth, Prairie Dog," Kokichi comments, folding his arms behind his neck. I shoot him a look, walking around him and making a quick exit out of the bathroom so I don't have to deal with him anymore.

Thankfully, he doesn't follow me out, so I'm able to step out and let the door swing closed behind me free as a bird-

 _"Ahem."_

My heart really can't take any more boys right now. Especially the two boys I hate the most back-to-freaking-back.

Wincing when I hear the familiar voice clearing to my left, I stop in my tracks and reluctantly turn my head to Rantaro Amami, who seems to have been waiting for me to leave the bathroom. How did those two idiots even know I'd be in here? I could have gone to my r-

...Never mind.

Rantaro pushes off of the wall wordlessly, only stopping once he's in front of me and looking me in the eyes for a moment. I'm waiting for him to say something, but it seems we're still not in the best terms with one another because he simply sighs and holds out my room keys to me to take. Initially I'm relieved at the sight of them and the fact he's about to hand them to me, but just as I'm reaching out for them, a thought enters my mind.

 _My keys! I get them ba...wait. Why is he suddenly giving them back to me now? He could have given them back to me at any time before. No...is he reverting back to overprotective unofficial older brother status and giving them back only because he thinks I'll need my room now that the new motive has been introduced? No no, don't think that way, he's probably only remembered now and that's why I'm getting my keys later than normal!_

 _...Or is this a cop-out to avoid the situation between us? To avoid_ _ **me?**_

I don't even realize what I've done until I find myself staring at one of the windows of the school, watching my keys go sailing in the air and eventually land somewhere out in the courtyard. When I snap back to reality completely, I come to the slow conclusion of what just occurred.

I took my keys from Rantaro's hand...and then turned and threw them to kingdom come.

Peeking up at him beside me, I realize Rantaro is also staring at the window where I threw my keys, visibly stupefied and mouth agape by the unusual reaction that came from his otherwise kind gesture to return my keys from me.

Seeing that as my chance, I turn away and run off quickly before he can say anything else, resisting the urge to slap myself in the face for doing that.

The reason is actually much simpler than it seems, as much as I don't want to admit that I'm wrong. We're _both_ wrong, for different reasons. Despite that though...

I really just want to be around him again.

 _ **End of 3.5 - Public Enemy Number One**_


	35. 3:6 - Someone Else's Face

**_3.6 - Someone Else's Face_**

After that incident throwing my keys to Timbuktu, Rantaro surprisingly doesn't leave me alone about them despite the fact that we've continued to refuse verbal engagements between one another. In fact, he's now seemingly _determined_ to return them to me, giving me even more attention now than he had earlier today after our initial dispute. Does this mean I think our friendship is on the road to recovery?

No, I think the opposite, actually.

Rantaro may be focused on me right now, but I presume he'll be on his merry way once I get my keys back and then he'll never bother himself with me after. If him keeping my stupid keys is the only thing left connecting the two of us, I sure don't want them back.

Either way, Rantaro surprisingly fetched my keys after I threw them and tried to corner me when I visited the dining hall kitchen for a snack. He tried to sneak them next to me while I was looking in the library for a way to open that hidden door behind the moving bookcase- heck, he even attempts to straight up _chase me down_ to get my stupid keys back to me.

I run up the stairs to the second floor and make a mad dash for the Ultimate Pianist's Lab so I can hide out in my secret perch, only to feel unfounded dread fill my heart when the knob refuses to turn.

I don't know exactly what's making me nervous, the rush of being chased by someone I half want to avoid and half want to run to, or the fact that the end of this chase may result in some chastising...if he actually decides to start speaking to me again willingly, considering we haven't spoken a word to one another since he came knocking on Tenko's door to reluctantly ask for my help with the flashback light.

Shaking the knob a few times, I eventually deem it a lost cause and turn to run. Upon spinning around, my escape plan falls flat when I find Rantaro blocking my only exit and breathing unevenly from the exertion of the run. He looks irritated, eyeing me and promptly holding out my keys in a silent demand for me to take them.

My response is to back away, but he takes a step forward despite my clear refusal to take the keys. I want to scream that I don't want them, but I instead turn and try the door again, making him take another few steps closer. At that, my eyes flick around him to find the best path away from him.

 _Maybe I can try to slip past him!_

I bolt to try and skirt around his tall frame, mostly counting on him being a clumsy tower as per usual. Unfortunately, he unexpectedly snaps both arms around my waist with a lightning speed I hadn't taken into account he'd have. It's so quick that I barely manage a grunt of vexation when he shoots me a look and holds up my keys for me to see, making me audibly groan and try to pull away when he attaches my keys to one of my belt clips.

As soon as it's attached to my person, Rantaro unceremoniously drops me on the floor and casually walks away, leaving me to squeak when I land belly down on the dirt ridden ground and shoot his back a scowl of disdain. Sure, it wasn't that much of a drop and it didn't hurt at all. But my _feelings_ hurt, so-

"I hate you!" I impulsively shout, breaking my own silence between us first and watching his complete indifference about it. He doesn't even acknowledge I've yelled at all, choosing to ignore me as he makes his way down the stairs to the first floor. Once I'm alone, I roll over and stare long and hard at the ceiling. I feel lame. Like a forgotten pancake left to go stale on someone's kitchen stove.

 _He didn't even say "that's okay" or "no, you don't". That jerk…!_

After a minute of wallowing for a few moments, I eventually sit up with a reinvigorated furious growl and wrangle my keys off of the belt clip they're attached to, storming back to the Ultimate Pianist's Lab to try and open the door. There's a lock for a key, so I first try my own keys to see if I have any dumb luck in that maybe one of them works to open it.

They don't, of course, so I try kicking it down and instead only cause it to shake in the doorframe somewhat. At this point I start throwing my shoulder and arm hard against the door, honestly not even sure I still even want to go in or whether I'm just bashing into the barrier between me and the lab out of rage.

"Open…! You…! _Stupid…! DOOR!"_ I grunt with every bang until my arm throbs enough that I can't stay upright anymore. My body hits the door with gradually decreasing force until I'm awkwardly sliding down the surface of it and onto the floor. I can't even feel my shoulder anymore as I flop on my back again, once again resuming my pitiful sulking as I stare up at the dirty ceiling. With how many cracks it has up there, it's a wonder the building doesn't just cave in and crush us under debris.

 _I can't get a stupid door to open...I can't behave like a civilized person and instead act like a rabid animal...I can't talk to Rantaro about our issues even though half of me wants to…is all this attitude and rage I can't control a result of my previous time as spoiled superstar Perfect Blitz? Am I just an uncontrollable bomb that explodes like this because I never learned to hold myself back?_

 _Furthermore, If I can't do even stupid and basic trivial things, what makes me think I'm "the one" that will get us out of here?_

 _….I wonder how many players have been in my place during all of Monokuma's killing games. Did they have such grandeur crazy fantasies that they stood toe-to-toe against Monokuma and the person working with him? The Mastermind? I wonder how many people died because they had an ego like mine. I wonder...if I'm just walking the carved trail straight onto Monokuma's silver platter._

I make my way back onto both my feet once I've sobered up somewhat, turning to look up at Kaede's now locked Ultimate Lab. Did Kaede think in such a prideful manner too?

Chatter in the courtyard is the only sound I hear, distant and light in the silent halls as I stare at the door thoughtfully. I'm not sure how long I'm laying there, but when I glance at the clock in the hall, it reads four o'clock. Not that it's the right time or even a working clock- it's currently growing weeds and fungi inside it's casing. If I still had my stupid monopad, I'd be able to see, but I guess because I'm such a problem, I'm doomed to lay here and _guess._

...

I feel stupid. Mean, stupid, and like I've humiliated myself in front of everyone because of my arrogant bad attitude.

 _Not to mention I might have been ebbing closer to my own demise because of said hubris. I guess that's why pride is one of the seven deadly sins._

"Puhuhu~!"

It's not Monokuma, rather the bear that leans over my face is Monosuke, who looks ever so amused by my current state.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here? One brat who's finally given in to despair huh? Maaan, I guess Monophanie was right! Without Monotaro and Monokid following ya around like lost puppies for your approval, you really are a powerless shit-stain, _Ugly!"_ Monosuke snickers.

I could open my mouth and tell him his "daddy-kuma" still doesn't care about him. I could remind him, as I know it's a sore spot for him, that he's still not protected by any of the school rules.

But no.

I just stare past him at the ceiling and sigh longingly.

 _...Stupid Rantaro._

"...You're no fun," Monosuke huffs, taking off his glasses and quickly rubbing each lens before popping them back on to tap one of his feet impatiently. "Father doesn't want us getting near you too much now. He says you might corrupt the rest of us like you did to Monotaro. You know what I think? It's unfounded. Monotaro was forgetful and easily manipulated, of course he'd get strung up in all your sweet talking!"

"Have you ever considered...that he was forgetful because someone _coded_ him to be forgetful? If he managed to get away from that, it's 'cause he made the choice on his own and managed to override his system's coding. That's not manipulation, that's autonomy," I finally speak, causing Monosuke to look down at me with crossed arms. "I told Monotaro not to help me. I _warned_ him and he still did it anyways...and for what? To get blown into pieces?"

I can feel my throat get tight a little at the memory, frowning.

"I don't have anything to show for it," I say, staring up at the ceiling long and hard so I don't start tearing up- in front of Monosuke of all people. "...I wish he had just kept hating me like he had in the beginning. Maybe he'd still be around right now, forgetting to call me Ugly and setting off Monophanie."

Monosuke snorts in amusement, as if recalling the same memory of when Monotaro called me "beautiful" in front of the pink bear and caused her to go on a verbal rampage.

"Monophanie is a nightmare, GOD! It's like having a primadonna and an alligator smashed into one pink ball of attitude!" Monosuke complains, crossing his legs and turning away to rest his plush elbow on my forehead. He hardly weighs a thing, so I just let him use me as an armrest since I'm too worn out to tell him not to. "I'd hate to consistently be on her shit list like you are, Ugly. She even made a dart board of your nasty face in our club room, you know?"

I roll my eyes at that. Of _course_ she did…

"Not that she's even managed to get one dart to hit it though. Her aim is as terrible as her taste in clothing! That coconut bra she wears is the bane of my damn existence," Monosuke claims, making me laugh suddenly. For a while there, I thought that stupid bra of hers only bugged me. "Yeah, I said it, you can quote me on it, two-k twenty-four!"

"You know she'd burn you at the stake if she ever heard you say that about her, right? She thinks she's the cutest thing on the plane…" I start to say before trailing off when I replay Monosuke's last words.

 _Two-k twenty-four...?_

My smile falls and I shift to sit up so that the yellow-white dual colored bear is forced to remove his elbow. As I turn to look at Monosuke slowly, I'm surprised to see that he seems somewhat confused, staring at me like I've grown another head.

"Is...is that-" I start to ask, before cutting myself off and instead standing up with a fake smile of ease. "Nevermind. Hey, should you still be here? Monokuma's going to think you're going Monotaro on everyone, so you should go."

 _I'm definitely not outing Monosuke for his slip-up. Absolutely not. Even if he isn't doing any favors for me intentionally. He should stay away from me, just like Monokuma told him to._

"Don't tell me what to do, UGLY! And I told ya, there's no way I'd fall over to the goody-two-shoes side!" Monosuke lets out a noise like the thought makes him want to vomit, turning away to harrumph before bounding out of the hallway. I wait until I'm sure he's not coming back to sigh a little, wincing and reaching up to rub my head.

He said what _year_ it was.

 _Please for the love of all that is holy, don't let Monokuma have noticed this encounter._

I look back and eventually move to make my way to the other classroom door. Glancing down at the keys that I'd been gripping in a white knuckled grip earlier after Rantaro left them with me, I pick out the right key from the set and stick it in the door lock. I intended to throw them out Kaede's lab window before, but in the end I guess I'll be keeping them.

 _What can I do knowing the year is 2024? I don't even remember what year it's supposed to be. Later I should ask the others what year they think it is right now. It's gonna look real stupid of me, but considering my amnesia, I have no choice._

I unlock the door to the classroom and-

"Prairie! There you are!"

I stop short of turning the door knob to enter, looking towards the stairs to see Tenko hurry the rest of the way over to me. She's not out of breath at all, but from how excited she looks, I can't really see her as the type of person that would have _walked_ when searching for me.

"I've been looking all over for you! Come with me, I've got a surprise for you- I'm sure it'll cheer you up!" Tenko exclaims to my mild surprise, wearing a smile bright enough to incite a superbloom.

 _Cheer me up?_

"Why would I need cheering up? Don't worry about me, I'm okay," I reassure the Ultimate Aikido Master with a small smile of my own as I link my arm around hers. If I have to ask anything from anyone, then asking Tenko is my best bet! She's a breath of fresh air in this place. "Anyways, I guess I could use something to keep myself busy though."

Tenko's expression gives a hint of knowing. Ever since we had our sparring session in the gym, one of many future sessions of catharsis I'm hoping we'll have, it feels like she peeled back a layer of...something. I feel almost naked under her stare, considering I _do_ still feel awful and in need of cheering up. Thing is, I just don't want to worry her with my rampant and twisted emotions. Seems like my efforts are in vain though, at least that's what I garner from that look of hers.

"Don't be afraid to lean on me a little if you need to. I promise, this body and brain of mine are both a lot sturdier than they look! I know it seems easier to stand on your own, but be careful or you might end up toppling over from the pressure, okay?" Tenko offers me some advice, one hand on her hip before she turns to lead us back to the first floor of the school.

 _For having more or less childish tendencies and beliefs, her advice is pretty sound. It might do me good to listen and pull my head out of the clouds. Before I ask anything pertaining to the year though..._

…

"Tenko, do you...think having an ego is bad?" I ask, using my other arm to play with my hair thoughtfully. Her thoughts are simple sounding but noteworthy, at least in my book. That said, I do want to hear her opinion on it. I overthink things a lot, and having her perspective on the matter would definitely help.

"Hm...I think everyone has an ego, whether they'll admit it or not. It's a human's natural desire to want to be the center of attention in one way or another, you know? That said, I think it's okay to have a bit of one, so long as the person in question doesn't fool themselves into thinking they're above others for silly reasons and act badly on that. I think an ego is bad when it starts to really hurt others…" Tenko explains, somehow not making the connection that when I'm talking about egos, I'm talking about myself in particular.

 _Ah, so basically what I'm freaking doing, huh? In fact, I'm doing more than just hurting them verbally- I slapped Gonta and got Tenko to literally toss Rantaro in the garbage. Isn't it different though because they're the ones looking down on me? I mean, if you think about it, they're arrogant themselves for thinking they know what's good for me...and they're hurting me by holding me back…_

 _...No, I'm just making excuses at this point. I have an attitude problem and I have a superiority complex, plain and simple. Both of which I need to fix- that much Rantaro is right about._

Just thinking that makes me wince a little on the outside, but Tenko thankfully doesn't notice.

"You see, _degenerate males_ are always like that to us girls. It's terrible! It's disgusting! I'm gonna flip the next _menace_ I see onto his back, they make me so annoyed!"

I can't help but suddenly burst out laughing, having been completely absorbed in Tenko's explanation and my own thoughts on it to the point that her usual distaste for men totally catches me off guard even though it shouldn't. After all, this is _Tenko Chabashira._

"Hey, so where are we going?" I inquire as she leads us out into the hallway, still linked to her arm while looking around. We haven't crossed paths with anyone yet and the first floor of the school seems almost devoid of people entirely. Maybe they're all outside or something?

As I look towards the school exit, I can't help but feel a bit glum at the sight. Everything outside looks the same. Same breeze, same partly cloudy, partly sunny day...same smell of oxygen and a plant-like scent I can't quite describe other than having an Earthy aroma. What sucks is the fact that I already know it's entirely fake, which makes the synthetic hints behind the pleasant scents stand out more when my I can't help but search for them. I catch hints of a barely traceable concoction of chemicals in the air and scrunch my nose in distaste when my brain singles it out.

We could be waking up to the same of _this_ for months. The thought knowing nothing is going to change...it's intimidating. This might actually end up being a mass gravesite for all of us.

 _Snap out of it! Stop being so morbid! Tenko's right- in fact, maybe I need more cheering up than I originally thought._

"The pool! We're meeting Shuichi and Kirumi there, I just need to find…" Tenko's words trail off as she looks back at my curious expression. Who else is she looking for? "You haven't maybe seen Himiko around, have you, Prairie?"

I hum at that. Of course she'd want Himiko around too. In fact, I _had_ seen her- particularly when Rantaro, in his mission to return my keys to me, was chasing me in the dining hall and circling her around the dining hall table in an effort to catch me. At first, Himiko seemed annoyed while eating her vanilla pudding slowly, but eventually started watching us intently with mild amusement.

"Last time I saw her she was in the dining hall, but-" I cut myself off as I walk to the open dining hall doors and spot Himiko exactly where I left her. She's finally finished that pudding of hers, head resting on the table as she lazily licks the remnants of the sugary dessert from the walls of the packaging cup. "Oh. Nevermind, she's still here."

Tenko joins me, a big smile on her face until she sees Himiko's state. With that, she blinks in confusion, her expression almost mirroring my thoughts. Is it just me, or does Himiko look particularly more glum than she had a day before? I didn't notice earlier since Rantaro was chasing me, but looking at her now...it's pretty hard to miss.

 _...I guess Kaede's death and the reality of our situation isn't only affecting me._

"Himiko! You wanna do something fun? I wouldn't normally say it, but it requires _zero_ effort!" Tenko offers brightly, clearly knowing exactly what to say to properly convince someone as lazy as Himiko Yumeno to participate in her plans.

"...Why not," she agrees with no hassle, standing up after a long pause and groaning a bit like an old lady as her bones creak and crack with her movements. With even her own body complaining like that, one would think she was moving for the first time in over a hundred years. Besides that though, she follows Tenko with me, the three of us stepping out into the hall. "What are we doing again?"

"Nyahaha! Yes, what _are_ we doing?"

I almost jump out of my skin at how close Angie is when she materializes beside me from almost out of nowhere. With a yelp of surprise, I instinctively hop closer to the nearest person- Himiko- and resort to mad-dogging Angie Yonaga's brightly grinning form. She may not be totally bad, but I still don't like her. She's rude- in fact, I bet she scared me just now on purpose!

"Gh...we're going somewhere to hang out. Just us three. And no one else," Tenko carefully chooses her words, obviously not to keep about Angie joining us either.

"Just you, Himiko, and the Blasphemer? Great! I'll join you! Atua says it will be good to monitor Perfect Blitz in case she goes rogue and betrays us all!" Angie completely dismisses Tenko's hints for her to leave us alone, grinning as she suddenly jumps to my side and grabs my hand.

It feels like a strike of lightning, the eerie sensation of her actions reminding me a little too much of a particular nasty rat from the gutter.

"Great. Another rat," I don't train my mouth, making it very obvious I don't like her so she'll consider letting go of my hand. When Angie simply smiles back at me, blinking her teal blue eyes my way, I give up and just roll my eyes as I look to Tenko. Said girl with the chain-link pigtails looks to Himiko with a mirroring grimace, but considering Himiko's lazy expression on my other side and the fact she's looking somewhere else completely in a distracted trance, Tenko also seems to admit defeat and turns to lead us towards the school pool.

 _...No one has brought up that extra motive about killing me for a free pass out of here yet. Not even Tenko has brought it up._

My eyes discreetly flick to everyone around me, but no one looks like they need to say anything to me. It's more discouraging from Tenko than the other two, but I resort to simply staying quiet about it. If not them, maybe someone else will bring it up, right?

 _Yeah, right. If **Tenko** won't even say anything, face it. You're doomed._

I internally wince and try not to think about it and how it stings, following Tenko and Himiko into the building. As soon as we step inside, the four of us pause at the doorway to "ooo" and "ahh" at the sight.

Chairs have been set up as well as towels, drinks, and what I can see is a pool parasol. Upon our entry, Kirumi and Shuichi look up from their organization of the snack table, also joined by Kiibo who is poking one cocktail umbrella from a pair of drinks.

"Whoa! Kirumi, thank you for making the preparations!" Tenko first praises, eyes practically sparkling as she looks around. Kirumi eyes the four of us, mostly staring at Angie and Himiko in particular. Do we look like a strange group together or something?

"...it seems there are more people here than I was told," Kirumi states as she looks to Himiko and Angie thoughtfully. "I don't recall you mentioning anyone else other than Prairie."

Tenko laughs at that sheepishly, making my eyes flick up her way as she reaches up to scratch her cheek in embarrassment.

"Sorry…by all means, I just wanted for Himiko to join us and feel like a celebrity too!" Tenko explains, eyes eventually shifting towards Angie. "As for her...she invited herself."

Angie releases my arm, bounding over to Kirumi with an eager smile, grabbing onto the Ultimate Maid's dress skirt.

"Can I be here too? Atua also wants to feel like a celebrity~!" Angie exclaims, looking back at us.

I'm just about to be the brave and rude one by opening my mouth to tell her to "get lost"- until Himiko manages to respond before my snappy remark. If it were up to me, and if it had been only Tenko with me, I'm sure Tenko might actually agree with sending Angie away...maybe. Probably not in the same harsh words I'd use. Unlike Tenko and I though, Himiko seems to have other ideas.

"If Atua is saying so, it can't be helped," Himiko comments, making both Tenko and I blink slowly before looking at the red haired girl's way dubiously. She's actually okay with occultist girl joining us? Also, what's with that "Atua" comment of hers?

 _Don't tell me Angie is somehow converting Himiko…!_

"R-Right...if Himiko says so…" Tenko reluctantly concedes, before looking my way for my thoughts. "Prairie, what do you think?"

…

A moment passes where I don't say anything, causing Himiko to reach over and poke my cheek to get some sort of response out of me. I still say nothing. "Nyeh...is she still with us?"

"Prairie?" Kiibo steps on over, poking my other cheek. At that point, I snap out of what was a mental tantrum in the security of my mind to give a nice smile to the others around me.

"Ah! Of course. Angie joining us...I'm only vomiting in my mouth at the thought. So I guess it is what it is," I remark casually, watching the expressions of everyone in the room go stiff at my boldness.

"Ahaha~! Perfect Blitz showing her true colors!" Angie comments unbothered, making Shuichi and Kiibo both sigh in relief while the other three girls visibly ease up their tense forms.

 _Stop calling me Perfect Blitz._

"Remember when Prairie was just this cute shy girl that hid in her hair and apologized too much?" I hear Kiibo lament so quietly to Shuichi that I almost don't catch it. I want to hear Shuichi's response to that, but Angie grabs my hand and cheerfully tugs me closer to Kirumi. Half of me wonders if she's done this on purpose, and I yank my hand out of hers rudely.

"Well in any case, I will make preparations for the additional number of people. May I include you in that number, Shuichi?" Kirumi's words disturb the two boys- er, one boy, one robot- from their conversation, both appearing somewhat guilty when I turn my head to throw daggers their way with my gaze. I really hope they get the message than I _know_ they were talking about me.

"What? Even me?" Shuichi asks when he seems to take a moment to mentally replay Kirumi's query. Quick to gossip, slow to process, huh?

"Ah, not Shuichi. As a _menace_ , it's only given that Shuichi has to help with the preparations," Tenko quickly interjects, causing Shuichi to visibly deflate a little at the workload that's been forced on him. I resist a snarky grin at that.

 _Loser._

"...What about Rantaro and Kiibo?" Shuichi asks, suddenly causing my smugness to falter and replace itself with horror.

 _Ack! Rantaro is here?! Where?! No, no, don't look for him. Stay calm, you don't care! YOU DON'T CARE._

"Nyeh...Shuichi, look what you did, Prairie is as stiff as a board now…" Himiko accuses pointedly much to my frustration. Sometimes she's on another planet- but why is it that she's always on Earth when I embarrass myself?

As if my habit has been resummoned from Shuichi's and Kiibo's gossip, I pull my fluffy curls over my entire face- just in time when I feel someone brush past me lightly from behind. My nerves jump and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but I'm of course ignored by him.

"I threw a couple more things in the oven since I noticed there was gonna be a few more than two," Rantaro sighs, making all my nerves prickle wildly at the sound of his smooth deep voice until I can barely take it anymore. I peek out from my curls, but rather than look at Rantaro, I look towards the exit.

"No, no, come on, you can do this! You're a strong woman!" Tenko reassures me, eyes blazing as she takes my chin and forces me to face her again. This somewhat has bravery simmering in the pit of my stomach, until I catch sight of Rantaro behind her.

Just like that, my wits and pride burn out entirely. Just looking at him- even though he's not at all focused on me- unravels my panicked nerves wildly at the seams of my dignity.

 _"Wrong,"_ I squeak pathetically, whirling around to leave when I notice Rantaro turning his head our way.

Before I can even take one step towards the door, Tenko turns me back to face her and lifts me up over her shoulder easily, rubbing my back comfortingly. Settled and in a position where I can only see Tenko's backside, I relent and try not to feel so crappy when Angie shamelessly calls me out.

"Nyahaha~! The second Rantaro waltzes in, the vicious beast is tamed!"

I don't even have the fire to lash back at her. I just feel sad and gross again.

"We're gonna go change into our swimwear. Shuichi! Rantaro! You know what happens if you try to peek, right?" Tenko demands, turning to face both males with a warning laced in her tone.

"Y-You don't need to tell us that. We won't peek…!" Shuichi insists.

"Ah, in that case, you're both allowed to peek! It will give me a reason to eradicate a pair of degenerate males!"

I can't see either Shuichi's or Rantaro's reactions to Tenko's...unique ideas. I'm still sulking over Tenko's shoulder as she turns to drag me off to the locker rooms, Himiko following and leaning over to make eye contact with me for a moment.

"You poor thing," she sighs, straightening up as Tenko carries me off.

"It's a good thing I am already wearing my swimsuit! I can just toss this off-" I hear Angie claim, followed by a sharp yell from Kiibo. "-and I'm all set! Yippie~!"

"D-Don't just undress like that...even if you _do_ have your bathing suit already on underneath." I hear Shuichi's voice get further and further away until we're in the locker room, Tenko setting me down so we can look through the swimsuit rack set out for our choosing by Kirumi.

Well, Himiko and Tenko look for swimsuits, the two eventually picking one pink bikini out for me that prompts me to go into hiding on top of the lockers when they're distracted momentarily. Why? Because it's a bikini Himiko and Tenko once saw me wearing in a magazine. In fact, it's a bikini even _I've_ seen before. Because it's the same scanty one from the magazine Kokichi was rubbing in my face a few days ago.

Nevertheless, I have to wear something, so I pull on a different bikini- another pink one, but at least it covers my body a bit more...somewhat.

"She's not in any of the lockers and I was guarding the exit the whole time…! Did she slip past me?" I hear Tenko muse to Himiko after searching.

"No. She's on the lockers, look...I almost missed it, but-" I feel a gentle tug on a lock of my hair, making me squeak guiltily as I'm fished out and placed on my feet.

"Alright! Time to relax by the pool like celebrities _with_ a celebrity!" Tenko boldly declares, dragging me along despite my obvious desire to stay hidden in the locker rooms. Before I pass the doorway, I manage to grab a towel and throw it over myself protectively.

 _So I'm just here because Perfect Blitz is a celebrity?_

And that's how I end up sitting with my knees up to my chest and a pink towel wrapped around my body entirely, huddled on a long pool lounge chair with a steady flow of "no thank you"s from my mouth hidden just barely under the hem of my towel.

"Are you sure? It's really no problem for me if you dislike anything here, Prairie," Kirumi continues to bother me, though with Rantaro around, I simply continue hiding under my small towel and answer, "No, I'm okay. Thank you. I don't need anything."

"...Alright, Prairie. If you do happen to need anything, please let me know," Kirumi eventually says with a resigned sigh, offering me a smile despite how miserable I appear.

It's when Kirumi moves to tend to the other girls that I notice Rantaro leaving the pool area- likely to fetch more drinks considering he's holding a pitcher. As soon as he's gone, a weight lifts off my body, but only a little bit. After all, he's going to be coming back with more drinks and fruit, so he won't be gone for long.

 _Why is he here helping out anyways? Why is Shuichi here? Kirumi I get, she has her Ultimate Maid's honor to uphold, but the other two is beyond me. Furthermore, why is Kiibo here? He isn't even really doing anything…!_

"Prairie, can we speak together for a moment?" I look up to see Kiibo and Shuichi take a seat on the space of my pool chair I'm no extended out on, both offering me pleading eyes.

I glance to the side where Tenko is getting an enticing oil massage from Kirumi and eventually nod to the two boys, huddling closer to hear them better and keep our conversation private. Honestly, whatever they want to talk about has to be one hundred percent better than what we're doing now. Celebrity or not, I don't feel like one even now.

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask, towel still wrapped around my body tightly.

"About you and Rantaro," Shuichi speaks first, immediately making my gut churn in distaste. "Before you say no and shoo us away, you need to know Rantaro is just about as miserable in this situation as you are. Trust me, I've been around him all day. He's really down in the dumps."

"Prairie, it's only been a couple of hours since your fight- if you're both like this now, I hate to imagine what that will be like tomorrow. Or after tomorrow. Or in a few days, mind you. You both obviously miss each other, but it's baffling to see the two of you are making yourselves suffer like this. It's irrational!" Kiibo says, making me turn my gaze away to pull at a loose thread on my towel.

"...It is pretty stupid, huh?" I agree, noting how small sparks of hope form in their eyes at my admittance. "Yeah. I do miss him, but it's not that simple. We don't agree on things and you know what? He doesn't just hold me back. I hold _him_ back. When we're together, I can't do anything since he's busy worrying about me. And not worried about anyone else, it seems…"

I look pointedly at Shuichi, watching him stiffen up like he thinks I'm going to yell at him.

"You think he would behave that way with me if I looked more like you, Shuichi? Or maybe you, Kiibo? Heck, you think if I looked like Kokichi, he'd still try putting a leash on me like he tries to now? It's that double-standard that has us separated," I explain before adding, "I won't say he's wrong about some of the things he's said though. He's right about a lot of things and I'm wrong about a lot of things...but he isn't right about everything. Until we can come to a better understanding, we can't go back to how it was. That's just how it is."

Kiibo and Shuichi share looks and sigh. When it comes down to it, they can't force me to make up with Rantaro. Regardless of whether we're miserable or not, we have to work it out ourselves- no one can do it for us, as well-meaning as their attempts may be.

"So there's nothing we can do then, huh?" Kiibo asks, making me look his way and cock my head to the side.

"Sure there is." Both he and Shuichi look back at me, making my lips quirk up in a small smile. "Just be there for Rantaro while I can't."

Shuichi picks at a thick thread on the pool chair absentmindedly, seeming a bit hesitant to say something in response until he seems to find his nerves. "We'll try, but...it's totally different when you're in the equation. Prairie, remember when I told you before that he's different when you aren't around? Well, he's even more different with this fight between you. He's even more pessimistic and hopeless sounding than usual…"

 _Not my problem._

That's what I want to say, at least, but I lock my jaw so the words don't fall out. It _is_ my problem. I don't like hearing that I'm causing Rantaro to feel bad...but right now, I need space. I need to worry about my own psyche. It's not healthy to be around Rantaro right now, not with these superimposed rules and limits he wants to slap on me.

To distract myself, I look back towards the other girls to see the person I kept rejecting assistance from, Kirumi, is now busy giving Tenko an oil massage. Considering I was all huddled up here for a good chunk of time, I'm finally interested in grabbing one of those fruit drinks at the snack table Rantaro made for us. After all, my conversation with Shuichi and Kiibo is over.

Turning to the boys still sitting on my chair, I can't help but give them a cheeky smile as I get up and say, "Okay, boys. You can continue serving us. Besides, celebrities don't share seats."

Shuichi and Kiibo smile a little at that, but it's not wholehearted. Clearly they're still concerned about Rantaro and I, however I've said my part of the ordeal and I've ended the topic completely. Rantaro aren't making up- at least not right now.

 _Still...I do feel a bit better knowing from Shuichi and Kiibo that Rantaro misses me as much as I miss him. Maybe he'll feel better as well when the boys report back that I miss him too?_

 _...God, it's been a little over twelve hours, not twelve years. This is ridiculous! I shouldn't miss him at all yet! Stupid Rantaro!_

Before I head on over to the table to get myself a drink, I finally remove my towel with a sigh and drop it back over my pool chair where I realize Shuichi and Kiibo are still seated. Seeing them, I gesture for them to get up and I wait till they snap out of their daze staring at me. I really, _really_ hope they didn't go dumb right now because of my bikini. I mean, Shuichi doesn't seem like the type of guy though- and Kiibo's a robot, so I don't think he'd find anybody attractive in the first place, right? 'Cause they have no need for a sex drive for reproducing?

Once they're both off my chair, I turn to go get myself a drink, causing Himiko to make a noise of curiosity when I pass in front of her pool chair.

"Nyeh...? Why are you on your feet? Celebrities shouldn't be getting their own drinks, should they?" Himiko asks, to which I answer, "I'm a sports celebrity, so that rule doesn't apply to me."

This seems to satisfy Himiko, who looks to be enjoying this little idea of Tenko's

 _I guess it wasn't so bad...even if Rantaro is around._

I hear the sound of the pool doors opening again to signal the return of the aforementioned Rantaro just as I reach the table, eyeing the drinks. The strawberry lemonade looks really good…! There's even strawberry chunks in it!

Reaching out to take that one, someone suddenly snatches it out of my reach before I can pick it up, leaving me to blink before I lift my head to look at the individual now chugging _my_ strawberry lemonade. When the culprit finishes the drink in front of me, she lets out a happy sigh and sets down the glass loudly.

"Ah! The strawberry lemonade is really the best, don't you think, Blasphemer?" Angie inquires, innocently fluttering her eyes my way like she didn't totally steal the drink I was clearly reaching for.

"...I wouldn't know," I comment so she knows I'm jabbing just a little at her for stealing my drink.

Not having realized Rantaro is back at the table with us until then, the simmering rage in my gut calms down almost immediately from making me go feral when he pushes a freshly made strawberry lemonade towards me from across the table.

Forget it being made by Rantaro. Forget that he's probably only sliding it my way to appease "the vicious beast" as Angie put it earlier. Well, okay...I'll just take a deep breath, pick up this new drink, and just let it go. This is fine, everything is peachy. I'm not a wild animal or a child, I can control my emotions.

I reach for the drink.

Once again, Angie swipes it up quickly and completely dows it, licking her lips once she's finished guzzling it down in front of me again. At my long stare as I slowly train my gaze on her, she offers me another charming smile and cocks her head to the side curiously as she sets the empty glass back down.

Deep breaths. Careful, gentle, calming...deep breaths. My temper doesn't control me, _I_ control it. That's what Tenko said, and she's right- so I'm going to refrain from physical violence...and explicitly foul attitudes. I'm not Perfect Blitz.

 _You can do this, just go for a different drink. Maybe this is Angie saying she wants all the strawberry lemonades for herself? Irrational and rude, but fine. I won't fight her on it if **she** wants to be the child here._

I reach for a glass of kiwi strawberry, the bits of yummy kiwi chunks now calling my name. The thought of the flavor in my mind makes my mouth water a little, and I take a moment to appreciate it the closer my hand gets to my drink. Now that I think about it, Angie can keep her stupid strawberry lemonades. Kiwi is amazing, I can do with thi-

Angie snatches up the glass before I can close my hand around it, leaving me to blink again and then face her in shock when she downs the drink in front of me for the third time.

I should be a volcano at this point, raging to the point of flipping the table in front of us altogether. Angie has intentionally stolen three drinks I was clearly reaching for, there's no denying that or pretending it's somehow a misunderstanding. I ought to be past mere annoyance now, but instead, my anger suddenly dissipates and I feel myself relax as I study Angie curiously midst her downing of the entire glass of Kiwi strawberry.

 _...Is Angie trying to make me angry? Why does she keep taking the drinks she sees me reaching for?_

Curious as I watch her finish up the drink, I reach for a glass of a pina colada (obviously non-alcoholic) and Angie snatches up what I'm reaching for a fourth time, allowing me to use the chance to snatch up the last kiwi strawberry drink and turn to leave the table without another word.

I don't like coconut or pineapple.

 _There, finally I got a drink! What's her problem though? Why is Angie...so **weird**?_

I take a seat back at my designated pool chair and glance back at where Angie is, noticing her now speaking to Rantaro. He doesn't look too happy despite that he's respectfully listening and responding to her, but I can't hear any specifics of their conversation since I'm too far away now. I'd like to imagine he's getting on her case for trying to bother me, but I'm not the center of the universe. He could be upset for a whole 'nother reason.

Shifting my gaze to the pool ahead, I simply hold my drink as I think about Angie's actions from a different perspective than my own. She said she doesn't like how people outside of this place idolize me and calls me a blasphemer for being famous...but so far, she's both defended me at times and outright accused me- on top of small scale insults like this.

 _…She's a closet superfan of Perfect Blitz and willing to do anything to get her attention, regardless of whether it's good attention or bad._

My eyes snap open, as I hadn't even realized I'd shut them while deep in thought. Crap, I was thinking so hard that I guess I activated my intuition since my eyes closed…! I can't be doing that right now- I already went to some strain after Maki got me with the flashback light.

I reach up discreetly to rub under my nose and make sure I'm not bleeding, feeling a small breath of relief escape me when I see nothing out of the ordinary. But besides that though, back to the main issue at hand- as small as it is.

 _So Angie is a big fan of Perfect Blitz, but lies and tells everyone that she doesn't like her at all...which in this case means me, of course. Why is she hiding it though? We had Miu and Kaede not hiding it at all. Not even Himiko, Tsumugi, or Kaito keep it a secret._

 _...I want to know more._

Against my better judgement, I close my eyes again and let my intuition take charge again, making more processes and connecting the dots.

 _Her religious beliefs deem it sinful to put anyone else before Atua._

Aahh, so she doesn't want to admit she likes an idol because it would go against the spiritual teachings she's grown up with. Heck, it's not like I'm asking her to sacrifice goats for me, I just don't want to be insulted and called Perfect Blitz. If her reason for treating me badly is simply for attention she can't receive without betraying her beliefs, we'll…I don't have to play her games.

I move to take a drink of my glass, only for it to be suddenly snatched right out of my hand before I can take a single sip. When I look over my shoulder to the side, I see Angie down my drink.

"So-"

I don't even wait for her to continue, standing up and making a beeline for the locker rooms to change back into my clothes. Angie follows me to my annoyance, hovering around me as I tear off the stupid bikini I have on and quickly pull my clothes on.

"Whhooaa…! Perfect Blitz even has freckles _there?"_ She says so loudly that it echoes in the changing room, making my cheeks start to heat up in both embarrassment and rage. No way the others didn't hear that with how loud she said it- but at least she didn't say exactly where they were. Still, the imagination will be the imagination.

 _In a span of five minutes, she has inconvenienced me, stolen my drink, and verbally exposed me. If I didn't hate her before, I sure hate her now...and I still want her to stop calling me that name._

Once I'm dressed, I walk back out with Angie following my quick footsteps. Tenko and Kirumi seem to notice my attire at that point, making Tenko fumble to tie her bikini top on quickly as she sits up.

"Prairie, you're leaving already? Where are you going?" I hear her ask, feeling a tad bit guilty I'm walking out of here early. Realistically though, I haven't felt comfortable since before I walked in- mostly because Angie decided to tag along and because Rantaro ended up being here.

 _I just want to go to my room and be left alone._

Angie catches my wrist in her hand before I'm halfway to the exit, making me jerk to a stop and turn to glance her way irritably.

"You should stay! Everyone worked hard to set this up for us, you know?" Angie chirps, only inciting my irritation more. Screw her and her weirdness. I don't like that she likes Perfect Blitz, especially the _way_ she likes her. It's confusing and she's just going about it the wrong way entirely! "You wouldn't want to make everyone that worked hard on this feel sad, would you, Blasphemer? Come back and sit with me!"

"...No, thank you. I don't want to be here or around you, so it's best I just leave," I say, desperately controlling my anger even though it feels like holding onto a rope with oil smeared on my hands. I want to snap- I want to scream, I want to rip my hair out, I want to rip _her_ hair out.

"Eh? Why not? I thought Perfect Blitz liked being treated like a queen?" Angie speaks up as she releases my wrist from her iron grip, her hands pressing into her cheeks as she observes my features. "You don't like Angie?"

 _Is she really using third person to try and make herself look cuter? That only works for Gonta, in my opinion._

"...Please stop calling me Perfect Blitz. I don't care anymore if you call me a blasphemer, but the Perfect Blitz thing needs to end," I add, bypassing her initial queries since I want to get this out of the way first.

"But you _are_ Perfect Blitz!" She insists with a charming smile. If I wasn't so upset, maybe I would admit it was a sweet smile, but I shake my head.

"No, I'm Prairie. Perfect Blitz is dead."

For some reason, likely the way I've worded it, I feel a thick tension fall among us all by the pool. If I can't throw a tantrum and let out my frustration, my only other option is to open up about what I'm feeling and why I'm feeling it. I _need_ at least a little relief, and Tenko isn't in any state to take me to the gym and have a sparring session with me. Sparring would be the most ideal form of catharsis, but I have to make do with what I have right now.

"I have amnesia. I don't remember my life as Perfect Blitz, and I don't remember what I did in that time. The moment I woke up here, I became someone else. So I'd appreciate it if Perfect Blitz would _stay_ dead. I don't want special treatment and I'm not your source of entertainment, I'm a person with my own feelings and identity even if the one I used to have is gone now. If you need attention from someone, how about you talk to Himiko? She seems to like you," I say as I turn to leave, adding in mutter under my breath, "For some reason…"

No one tries to stop me this time when I leave thankfully. When I step outside (for lack of a better word to describe the poor excuse for a fake outdoors), I pause and mentally evaluate my levels of stress.

…Surprisingly, I don't feel so terrible. In fact, I think I feel better than I did when I was stressed and trying to break down the door to the Ultimate Pianist's lab. Maybe not as good as I would have felt if I sparred with Tenko, but it's something a lot better than getting so angry I lose all sense of reason.

I let out a sigh and look around. It's already depicted to be sunset right now, so night's coming soon.

 _Perfect Blitz isn't me anymore. I'm Prairie Marble now._

 _As Prairie Marble, I'm going to do better- and I'm going to change the way **I** want to change. Not the way Rantaro wants me to change._

 _ **End of 3.6 - Someone Else's Face**_


	36. 3:7 - Tasting Despair

_**3.7 - Tasting Despair**_

I jolt up from my nap in a mild frantic state, only to freeze when I realize I'm in a dark room. Confused and a bit spooked, I blink in the darkness and eventually start to feel around, my fingertips and palms exploring a textile familiar to the velvety-satin sheets of my bed. Upon that discovery, I reach to the side where I'm sure my night table is blindly and pat around until I find my lamp to switch it on.

Well I'm in my room, that's for certain. Tucked in my bed and all by myself upon blinking around as I get used to the light illuminating my personal space. Thing is, I don't remember ever actually going back to my room at all. As far as I recall, I was reading some of the _many_ murder mystery books littering the stupid library.

 _Maybe Tenko or Kirumi brought me back? Or...maybe…?_

I stomp down on my train of thought before I can begin to blindly get my hopes up. Ever since Shuichi and Kiibo approached me about Rantaro, I kept hoping in my gut that he'd come talk to me.

Of course he was a total no-show, no surprise there. Even if Shuichi and Kiibo told him about the fact I missed him too, he probably doesn't want to be the one trying to amend things. In _his_ perspective, he most likely believes I'm _entirely_ in the wrong. That I should listen to him and stop pushing Monokuma for answers.

Well, _that's_ definitely not happening. I may have to re-evaluate how I test Monokuma, but I'm not in any way, shape or form simply about to roll over for that evil bear. I can see I can't completely do it all on my own though...but how am I supposed to convince others to help me?

I stop petting my soft comforter and shake myself out of my thoughts. I don't know what time it is...the longer I'm without my stupid monopad I broke, the more I regret having broken it. Now I kinda wish I still had it to tell the time.

"Peek-a-boo!" A feminine voice yells right beside my ear enough to make me cringe and cry out as I lurch away clawing at my ear to stop the painful ringing. As I do, the small white and pink dual toned bear in my room jumps up and down on my bed giggling wildly.

"I've brought you a _present,_ Ugly!" Monophanie chirps, stepping closer so I end up scrambling off of the bed to get away from her. Is it another prank like the gum thing? See, it's better to be safe than sorry.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I hear a groan and spin around to see Monokid in my room as well with a paw at his hip. He looks irate, like Monophanie has been bugging him as well before they arrived.

"No one asked you to be here, Monophanie!" He complains, giving her an aggravated growl. "Shouldn't you be helping Monodam and Monosuke with distributions?! You're _bugging!"_

 _"Nooo…!_ I gotta make sure you aren't being tricked into conspiring with the enemy again! A little _harlot_ like Ugly...the forbidden love between the two of you just _can't go on!_ Why?" Monophanie feigns a swoon before straightening up and whipping something out from behind her, hurling it my way so it hits my forehead hard enough to get a squeal of surprise and fear out of me. It's just a small hair brush and it hurts, but I guess I'm not dead yet- which is always a good thing. "Because the idea of the two of you together makes me even more sick than imagining this demented little bitchlet touching _my_ Rantaro!"

 _"Her" Rantaro? She needs to get her codes looked at, I think she's getting worse. Monophanie isn't really obsessed with Rantaro, is she?_

"Just 'cause I LIKE her doesn't mean I wanna _marry_ her! Just shut your annoying mouth alread-!" Monokid tries to defend, until Monophanie "coo"s and tsks at him with a finger.

"Don't let _Daddy_ catch you saying that so wholeheartedly, big brother! You know what he'll do if he catches you~!" Monophanie teases, causing Monokid to growl and cross his arms moodily as he reluctantly allows the pink cancer the stage. "Now, now, Ugly...let's get down to business."

Monophanie yanks out something else from behind her, much larger than the mini hairbrush she threw at me. When I see what it is, I almost feel a sense of relief. The item is a monopad- one half white and the other actually half pink in Monophanie's colors, making me only grimace slightly. Besides the unfortunate color, at least I'll be able to tell the time again, right?

"Don't get your hopes up, Frog Lips!" Monophanie chirps, her words inciting a rush of defensive irritation. "Yes, _Frog Lips~!_ Because your lips are yucky looking like a slimy frog in a dirty swamp-"

 _"Okay, I get it._ You don't have to emphasize it, now what do you mean by, 'don't get my hopes up'?" I demand, a dry stare aimed at the pink bear. Somehow I feel like she's dragging this out just to annoy me more. I should be _fast asleep_ , couldn't she have waited till tomorrow to talk to me about whatever it is she's here for?

 _Furthermore, Monokid said the other two monokubs were handling 'distributions'...but of what?_

"This isn't a new monopad to replace your old one. You're not getting a new monopad like that other one at all, so enjoy your slow descent into madness as you constantly wonder what the time is and what the other students like or dislike! And if you forget a rule? Well, you're shit out of luck, Ugly! Tee-hee~! I hope an Exisal mauls you to death in our near future, and I hope the Exisal in question ends up being _my_ Exisal," Monophanie sweetly states, jittering where she stands in eager excitement at the thought.

"I hope an Exisal mauls _her…_ maybe not to death, but still," I hear Monokid, who has sneakily shuffled closer to me, mutter so only I can hear. I bite my lip to resist a smile of both amusement and relief.

 _He's not mad at me. I was worried about nothing this whole time about him blaming me for Monotaro, but he's still willing to talk to me. That's good, right?_

"Get to the monopad already, Monophanie, or Monokuma won't just be mad at _me,"_ Monokid says, and although the order irritates Monophanie by the look on her face, she evidently complies.

"So! Everyone is getting a kubs pad, but you're getting this _special one!_ This is a Padphanie~! Just a little something to get your blood pumping!" Monophanie holds it out to me. "Keep your eyes peeled though! It's a self-destructing video and it will only play _once._ Afterwards, it will delete itself right away, so look away at your own risk! The video wasn't originally meant for you, but Daddy figured since we don't have anything for a lousy afterthought like you, it'll have to do! It's about someone you care about, so that's nice, right? We're just so thoughtful~! Even towards you, Ugly!"

Blinking at her as she holds it out sweetly, I look at Monokid for his verdict, causing him to shuffle nervously.

"Sorry, I don't actually know what the video is. And for that matter, neither does _she._ Even if I did know, I wouldn't be able to tell ya," Monokid explains, looking down and fidgeting with some of his curly chest hair. Obviously, they're synthetic fibers, but still. What a strange design for a mechanical bear… "Monokuma picked out the videos himself, so I'm not sure what videos any kubs pad has."

Monophanie makes a sad noise, prompting us to both look her way when I pat Monokid's head to reassure him the best I can. Said bear with the coconut bra deflates a little, her attention glued to Monokid in particular.

"It's _weird_ hearing you call Daddy by his name…" Monophanie whines, shivering. "Stop calling him by his birthname! He's _Daddy_ to us!"

"Wha- He _ain't our dad!_ I'm not gonna pretend he's my father when he ain't! And you're not my sister either, as a matter of fact! We're all just hunks of metal and code in clown outfits- that's that! We serve a purpose and when we deviate from said purpose, _Daddy Dearest_ throws us away like the garbage we are!" Monokid suddenly shouts, the color just underneath the fur of his face tinting red with anger. "Come see me when you're done dreamin'. You wanna play house? Fine, but don't expect _me_ to be kissin' anyone's ass, let alone _Monokuma's!"_

Monokid momentarily gives me a look of apology before turning and bounding out of the room quickly, closing the door behind himself and leaving Monophanie and I alone together.

 _I hope he doesn't do anything rash, that was starting to sound very similar to how Monotaro sounded just before…_

"You see what you do?" I turn back to Monophanie, only to find her staring at me. She's not as bubbly as she was earlier, not smiling a sugar sweet smile of plastic like she normally does. Instead, she's even more robotic looking than ever before, as if devoid of all emotions. "If Monokid gets destroyed…"

My stomach drops at the red light that pierces through the white jagged eye on the left side of her face, brighter and redder than I've ever seen it get even on Monokuma.

 _"I will never forgive you."_

Monophanie, without another word, sets the tablet on my bed and then bounds out of my room. With an uneasy stare after her retreating form, I watch the door shut behind her and step over to lock up my room behind the two.

 _This is the first time I've seen the monokubs- other than "corrupted" Monokid and Monotaro (as Monokuma put it) respectively for one another- show they care about more than just their own synthetic skin. I know she just threatened me and isn't on my side at all, but heck...I will never forgive_ _ **myself**_ _if Monokid gets destroyed. At least we share that sentiment._

Now that the two monokubs are gone, it's just me...and that "padphanie". God, even just saying the name of it in my head still sounds really stupid. I'm calling it a pink kubz pad for ease, I don't care.

Walking over to the tablet on my bed, I lean over it and peer down at the glossy screen, pristine and not smudged with any fingerprint marks or the like. So this thing supposedly will play one video once about someone I apparently care about and then the file will delete itself forever...they didn't mention it was a motive or anything, but considering Monokuma set this up and the fact the others are apparently getting the real kubz pads with something else on theirs, well...what else could it be?

Maybe I ought to watch it with someone else...or even _everyone_ else for that matter. I mean, if we all have the knowledge on whatever Monokuma has decided to show me that isn't "meant for me" it might also be useful to the others, right? After all, they never said _don't_ share it.

 _Or what if it has nothing important or helpful at all and only serves to embarrass me? Or even worse, what if it ends up becoming an incentive to kill and Monokuma appears after I've gotten the others to watch it with me to say, "aaaand that's the real motive this time! Nice going, Miss Marble, thank you for distributing it properly- happy killing~!"_

I shake the awful thought out of my mind and look back at the tablet dubiously, picking it up carefully without hitting the buttons or the screen. Last thing I wanna do is make it start playing before I've made a decision.

 _Well...I already have the most knowledge about the killing game out of everyone here. No difference and it's safer of only I know- since I'm confident there's nothing Monokuma can show me that will get me to resort to murder. I don't want to hurt anyone- in any way whatsoever._

 _My amnesia gives me no personal ties since I can't remember anyone I supposedly care about, so if this has the potential to upset someone, it won't be me since I'll essentially be looking at a stranger...right?_

I swallow thickly and take a seat on my bed, relenting and pressing the power button. I've got this. I know where I stand.

The screen flashes on and I squeak a little with regret until I see white text begin to appear on the black screen.

 _ **PLAY VIDEO?**_

Hyping myself up and getting on my feet to pace, I take my second chance in waiting to ask myself one more time if I want to watch this alone or if I want someone to join me. Who could I bring the tablet to? Who is someone that could help and that I trust?

As much as I like Tenko...I'm not sure if she'd be the most helpful. Sure, she may give good insight, but I need a _problem solver,_ like me.

...I'd take it to Rantaro, but I'm not talking to him still, so it'd be a bit awkward.

 _Dumb! Are you really gonna let "awkwardness" and your fight cloud your judgement? Teen drama- get over it!_

But Rantaro might take this as me forfeiting if I go to him. If I spill anything to him right now, we'll be dancing the same tango again. Getting each other's way, Rantaro insisting I not fight, me backsassing him and continuing my attitude driven aggression towards others...no, I can't go to Rantaro. It would be a _detriment._

Another problem solver...well, certainly not Kokichi. While I can attest to the fact he's a smart one, he would _never_ let me into his head. Not to mention I don't know how he would use the information- other than that he's a ticking time bomb for trouble most of the time.

Well then...how about Shuichi?

...He's smart- he's the Ultimate _Detective_ and he's...decent to be around, I guess. When he's not calling me moe and stuff, at least...or staring at me in a bikini.

I pick up my tablet and leave my room, closing my door quietly behind me and tiptoeing to Shuichi's dorm room quietly. I'm in my "indecent" pajamas again, but who cares. I don't have time to change, I wanna watch this now.

 _Doesn't seem like the Monokubs are around anymore, so that's good...the sooner I get this done, the less time someone will pop up and demand I stop the video or something. I just hope this is more on the helpful side and less on the embarrassing side._

 _...Then again, if this video isn't originally meant for me, it shouldn't be anything personal. I think I'm safe on that end of things...yeah. If it was potentially embarrassing though, I could always just scare Shuichi to never open his mouth about it. He'd definitely listen~_

I ring the buzzer to his door and wait. There's no answer at first, probably because he's sleeping, but after a second ring I hear some shuffling from inside.

He opens the door still with his eyes closed and I take my chance, barreling straight into him so his gold eyes snap open upon my more or less forced entry. He sputters when he sees it's me, flailing a little as I close and lock his door behind us and grab his hand to drag him to his bed. He's panicking and stammering to get a cohesive sentence out until I sit him down beside me and hold the pink kubz pad between us.

"P-Prair-?!" Shuichi finally gets half of my name out, but I shush him.

"Shut up and watch, Shuichi. The video apparently will only play once and then the file will delete itself. I don't know if it's going to be useful, but I'm betting my money on the fact it's a one-show deal that it is. If it isn't...well who cares for now. I'm gonna play it, so let's save any thoughts till after it's done," I say, looking to Shuichi's stunned and somewhat drowsy face before noticing something and frowning. "You sleep in your ultimate outfit?"

"E-Eh? I mean...this is all they gave me…" Shuichi comments sheepishly, making me look down at my small pajamas. Does Monokuma also hate Shuichi for some reason…?

I look back at Shuichi for confirmation on watching the video, only to notice one of his eyes looks more open than the other. Man, I really dragged him out of bed, huh?

"Sorry, Monophanie woke me up to give this to me personally and I don't want to wait too long to watch it. I'm scared it'll maybe delete itself if I don't watch it soon," I explain with a sympathetic smile, watching Shuichi slap his hands lightly on his cheeks to wake himself up now that I'm not on overdrive trying to get him to watch it.

"No, no...it's fine. I'm awake and I get it. Besides, it's only-" Shuichi reaches for the monopad on his night table, turning it on just as I see it's not the black and white monopad I've gotten used to the others walking around with. This one has a paint splatter design all over it's back, but before I can say anything, the tablet turns on.

"Hey, that's-" I start to try and tell him, before a familiar annoying voice cuts through my words and Shuichi makes a noise of surprise before falling silent.

 _"Nooow then, back by popular demand, it's time to show another 'motive video'. Who, oh who, could be_ _ **your**_ _'most important loved ones', I wooonder? Let's begin, let's begiiin!"_

"Wha- Kaito?" Shuichi questions, prompting me to set my tablet aside and grab the side of the kubz pad playing in his hand. Once I've scooched closer to him and have angled it where we can both watch it clearly, we fall silent. Shuichi is notably jittery and I can guess why, but I choose to ignore it since there are more important things to be concerned about.

 _"The Ultimate Astronaut, Kaito Momota...having been accepted for astronaut training at an incredibly young age, truly, he's someone who can be considered an extraordinary young man of exceptional talent."_

...So the monokubs gave Shuichi this tablet of Kaito- a tablet supposedly showing a person the receiver cares about? But...Shuichi and Kaito haven't exactly talked much here, I've mostly seen Shuichi hovering around Rantaro, actually. Also, why is the picture here one of Kaito smiling with...I guess his grandparents?

Maybe it's too early for speculation. I'll just keep watching for now.

 _"Right now, our team is bringing you an interview with this young man's grandparents."_

Ah, I'm right on the mark. Grandparents...they look cute all together. I wonder what my grandparents are like…

 _If you still_ _ **have**_ _grandparents._

I shut my brain up.

 _"The two of them are very worried over Kaito's disappearance, and wish from the bottom of their hearts for him to stay alive. Well then, let's listen to them in person, shall we?"_

The image cuts to a video feed, making Shuichi and I pull the tablet closer to us curiously. The one who speaks up first out of the two visibly distraught elders is Kaito's grandfather, causing a pit of pain to form in my thorax. A reminder that some of us have loved ones out there concerned and worried for our well beings.

 _"Kaito...I don't want for much. Just as long as you keep living, that's fine with me…"_

 _"You definitely can't give up. No matter what happens...just stay alive. Please...four our sakes as well, keep living,"_ Kaito's grandmother earnestly urges, her expression and the way she reaches for her husband's hand pulls at my heartstrings. Just before I can completely be overcome by emotions of sympathy, Monokuma returns to snap me out of it and the video in the backdrop pauses.

 _"The two of them have only one wish...and that's for Kaito to keep living. Weeell then, I wonder if Kaito can actually fulfil his grandparent's dearest wish? Oh, right, right. Before I forget to mention it…"_

Alarm bells start to go off in my head for some reason. Maybe it's because the video is suspicious and the fact that it seems too "chummy" so far. Maybe it's because I know Monokuma likes to play with the heart. Never the less, I keep my gaze glued to the screen.

 _"Sometime after this interview, those two old bags seemed to have met with an unbearable outcome of some sort, but...what happened to them is a secret. Puhuhu~! Please do try and check what it was with your own two eyes, okay?"_

My lip pulls up inn a snarl.

"Piece of crap bear," I snap as soon as the video presumably ends, although Shuichi seems to be reeling as well considering his lack of a reaction to a flash of my aggression.

"W-What the hell _is_ this…? He said it was a 'motive video' in the beginning, but even if that's the case...why would they leave _Kaito's_ motive in my room?" Shuichi frowns and stands up, looking around. "Maybe mine's somewhere here? And they accidentally just dropped Kaito's as well on accident?"

I stand up and we go around his dorm room in search, but a few minutes later it seems the search produces nothing. The only tablets in here are Kaito's motive video, my own pink kubz pad, and Shuichi's plain monopad.

"That's weird...but never mind that! We should go tell Kaito! If something bad happened to his-" Shuichi starts, making a beeline for the exit to the room.

I gasp at that, whirling around and making a dash to slide between him and the door immediately.

"Absolutely _not!_ Shuichi. You're _kidding,_ right? What part of the word 'motive' did your peanut sized brain fail to comprehend?" I ask, causing Shuichi to jump and freeze before he can crash into me. At my quip, he has the audacity to look confused, and I promptly slap my hand against my face. "Okay, let's say you show this video to Kaito. Now he knows his grandparents are out there, waiting for news on whether he's alive or not. Begging him to _live._ Does that sound like something you want him hanging over his head?"

"H-He deserves to know, Prairie. This is a personal message meant for _Kaito's_ eyes and ears, not ours. We shouldn't decide whether he gets to see this or not."

"Shuichi, let me reiterate what I said before with a little more clarification. _Begging_ Kaito to live. _No matter what._ What will that translate to in this killing game, where the presumed only way to ensure your own survival is _murdering your comrades?"_ I emphasize, finally calming Shuichi down enough to see him deflate and look away with a contemplative expression.

"...Well, I guess when you put it that way…" Shuichi takes a few steps back and sits on his bed again, allowing me to relax and take a seat beside him. "I...hope his grandparents are okay."

"Me too," I sigh. "Monokuma sure knows how to make people feel even worse than they already are."

I give Shuichi a moment of silence to think and then turn to pick up the pink kubz pad I originally came in with, nudging Shuichi gently so he looks at it. He sighs and sits straighter, looking up at me.

"Before we get to that, could I ask why you decided to come to me with your video? I mean...if this is your motive video, are you sure you want me watching something potentially personal?"

"I'd rather risk you watching something embarrassing than risk you missing something important to our situation," I answer, this time mildly surprised when Shuichi then counters with, "Alright then, but why _me?_ You could have gone to anyone here. Rantaro, Kaito, Tenko, Kirumi…"

"Well you're the Ultimate Detective for one- and also I already went through my mental list of potential options. Not counting you being the Ultimate Detective, you're the only other problem solver around here that I can confidently say I... _kinda_ trust," I comment, prompting Shuichi's face to fall a little.

"Don't rely too much on my detective skills, I was only ever an apprentice to the real deal," he laments, to which I slap his back hard with a grin as he jerks forward and eyes me in shock. Oh please, I barely tapped him.

"Okay, 'detective apprentice', we'll take what we can get. A detective apprentice is better than nothing, especially if he's deluded with modesty and ends up a prodigy of sorts," I point out, ignoring Shuichi's visible dubiousness at my claims. "You ready then? By the way, if it ends up being nothing and just embarrassing stuff, I hope you know to shut your mouth about it. Or...well, you know. I'm not gonna kill you, but I _will_ be happy to beat the crap out of you. Just so we're clear, okay?"

Shuichi has the sense to give me a look bordering anxiety and resignation as he nods, evidently allowing me to hit the play button on the video. The screen goes into loading mode before-

"Eh?" I squeak when _Rantaro_ of all people appears on the screen, causing Shuichi to also react and stab the pause button suddenly. Not counting our surprise we can pause, I look his way so we're mirroring the same expression of confusion at this discovery.

"D-Did you maybe get Rantaro's video?" He questions before frowning in thought. "Then again, this video isn't starting up the same as Kaito's...there's no title card and Monokuma isn't starting it up with a narration…"

"Monophanie gave it to me saying I was getting something _different_ because it's not originally meant for me. Apparently Monokuma doesn't have a video like _that_ for me because I'm just an afterthought," I state, pointing at Kaito's motive video and then glancing back down.

 _Now that I'm thinking about it...if I'm such a superstar and everything, why wouldn't Monokuma be able to make me a motive video of the same sorts as Kaito's? Wouldn't it be relatively easy to find my most loved ones related to me? Or...do I not have any?_

"Alright, no more pauses, I don't want a bear to jump in and stop me from watching the video with you. They haven't said this is against the rules yet, so I'm gonna take advantage of that."

I press the play button and continue the video, internally cringing when he opens his mouth and makes my stomach flip at the sound of his horrible deep velvety voice. I hate it. I hate his parents and their genetics.

 _"Hey, what's up. I guess I don't need to tell you what my name is, do I?"_

Rantaro pauses, giving me a moment to wonder who the video is originally intended for. Someone in our ranks? Someone _outside_ the killing game?

 _"You probably don't know what's going on, looking at me right now. Maybe I should start explaining from there…"_

"It's so direct compared to Kaito's…" I hear Shuichi mutter to himself, his gold eyes quietly flicking all around the screen to gather evidence as I peek at him from the corner of my eye. He may totally underestimate his skills as a detective, but as far as I'm concerned, he's the better of every option I considered.

Before I can zone out again, I focus on the video so I don't miss anything.

 _"The one who's recording this video is none other than you yourself. The reason why you don't have any memory of recording this video is because you've lost the memory of that time. Basically, this is a video of Rantaro Amami before he has lost his memory_ _ **for**_ _the Rantaro Amami who has lost his memory."_

What? Monokuma has something like _this_ lying around? Do all of us have one, or-

 _"Now for the main point of why I'm recording this video...There are many special perks specifically for me to participate in this killing game."_

"To 'participate'?" I echo under my own breath, feeling my stomach begin to sink. I don't like where this is going. Why would he use that word: _'participate'?_ That term gives the connotation he willingly…

I don't like what I'm hearing, but maybe he doesn't mean it the way I'm thinking it. It could just be dry sarcasm I'm not detecting, right? Could I rewind to hear it?

Just to see if I can, I try to rewind and a small bubble appears at the bottom as the video continues, reading in small text, _"forbidden action"._ I guess it was worth a shot, but…

 _"One special perk is being able to record this video message,"_ Rantaro says, the screen twitching in a way that seems to make Shuichi let out a small noise of interest. I ignore him, completely engrossed in the video. _"And you can't share this video with your comrades. If that comrade were to be expelled by Monokuma, this is the reason."_

Expelled...something tells me the Ultimate Academy's version of "expelled" is a lot bloodier than other academies.

 _"And by the way, the other perk is...something you'll have had as soon as the killing game begins. You've probably guessed already, haven't you? Since the killing game began, you've had a certain something."_

...The second monopad I saw him having in the library. The one I decided not to question him about.

 _"Well, other than having those two perks, we're just the same as all of the others."_

…

 _"That's how it is."_

"Prairie, you're seeing that, right?" Shuichi asks, voice sounding a bit urgent.

"Seeing what?" I ask dismissively, honestly not really listening to him because my fingers are stiff and my hands feel a bit clammy at this point. Why? Why 'participate'? No matter how hard I try to shake it from my mind, I can't stop thinking about Rantaro's words and demeanor. He looks so calm about it...why?

 _"...Oh, that's right. I have one more thing to tell you."_

No more. Stop talking. Please just _shut up._ So you have perks- I don't want to know what you did to be rewarded them from Danganronpa. This isn't something I want to know _at all._

And yet, despite my thoughts, I can't bring myself to press pause. The video continues to play

 _"Actually…"_

"You see?" Shuichi tries again, but I ignore him entirely this time. "Prairie…?"

I should have hit pause. I should have dropped the stupid tablet and covered my ears. I should have left.

 _"This isn't the first killing game you've participated in."_

 _"I survived the last killing game and became the Ultimate Survivor."_

 _"That is the perk I've been given. The perk of survival."_

 _"This is the killing game you wished for. That's why...you need to win, no matter what."_

 _"...No matter what."_

 _ **No matter what.**_

"Prairie-" I shove the pink and white tablet in Shuichi's arms and stand up- my face hot and my eyes erupting in tears that feel like they're boiling. The sensation stings my eyes, but it's nothing like the pain of watching that video of Rantaro.

 _He got me. Monokuma knows what he's doing. Years of studying people from hosting killing games I suppose, but he did it. He got me._

I thought I might have been safe since I have amnesia. What a stupid freaking assumption. Like Monokuma didn't have some sort of solution for that situation.

 _"Prairie!_ Wait, calm down-!" Shuichi tries to stop me, reaching out to catch my wrist. I snatch my arm out of his hold and throw open his room door.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You saw what we just watched and you think I can just sit down and be okay with that? With what that's supposed to mean?" I snap, whirling on him outside of doorway. For once, I'm too angry and emotional to hide the fact I'm upset, and seeing Shuichi's eyes flash with sympathy only serves to enrage me further. _"Stop looking at me like that."_

"B-But you don't understand! _Prairie!"_ Shuichi carelessly swings his room door shut to chase after me when I start heading towards the exit of the dormitory building.

"Owaaa, what's the ruckus out here…?" I hear an annoying voice pipe up from the second floor. "Who lit Mousey-mouse on fire?"

"A-At this ludicrous hour? I thought humans slept through the nigh-"

"Don't understand freaking _what,_ Shuichi?! Like I'm not capable of putting two and two together when something's presented to me? Am I too _'moe'_ to figure things out for my fragile self?!" I demand furiously, turning back and slapping his hand away viciously before he can grab me.

"No! Prairie, I didn't mean that bef- well, it wasn't meant to upset you-! Please stop trying to leave! I can explain what you saw!" Shuichi begs, following me out of the building but not before I see Angie, Tsumugi, Korekiyo and Kaito also peer out from their respective rooms. "If you just listen, it will all make sense."

I'm already out of the building, storming on ahead as Shuichi tries to catch up.

"What about it _doesn't_ make sense? It makes perfect sense to me, what is it about he words he used that could possibly be misconstrued or misinterpreted?! I don't want to hear anymore!" I bark over my shoulder.

"Prairie, it's been _edited!_ Cuts were made in the video, you can't let it get to you before you have all the answers, that's what Monokuma wants-!"

"I DON'T CARE! I know I don't have all the answers and maybe the video is cut and I _know_ Monokuma wants to just get to me- that doesn't change what _he_ said and how I _fucking feel!"_ I practically feel my lungs straining as I turn to yell at him, shoving Shuichi back a few steps to keep storming off to the school building. "Just leave me alone!"

"Oh my god, she used the 'F' word…" Tsumugi comments from afar, the chatter easily audible because she and the previously awakened party are following after us closely.

"What's going on? Why is Prairie upset?" I hear Kaito asks as we enter the school. When I turn around, I let out a groan of frustration at the sight of all of them following me in.

"Nothing- ah, I'll explain later! Monokuma is trying to get to her, and-" Shuichi tries to give the short version to Kaito and the others.

"If you wanna talk about me like I'm not here, do it somewhere else!" I shout, rubbing a hand over my warm face to wipe some of the onslaught of tears rushing down my face. Stupid Rantaro...now I wish I woke up to freaking _Kokichi_ in the beginning. Maybe I wouldn't have attached myself to him so much if he hadn't been the first face I woke up to.

 _Stupid, you're the one that let yourself trust him so easily just because he gave you a couple smiles and cuddled you a little._

"Atua is telling me...Monokuma has definitely gotten to her!" Angie comments, stating the obvious and pointing at me. "Her face is all blotchy and red!"

I make a horrible noise, one that's a cross between a sob and a growl that doesn't sound like the kind of noise that should be coming out of a human being. With it, I turn to escape the crowd and walk into the first door I see, that being the monomachine prize room. The first one to follow me in is Kokichi, who coos and starts to approach me.

Seeing his intentions, I growl at him and try to swat him away, but he follows me over the counter to the student store and manages to snap his arms around me so my arms are pinned to my sides.

"There, there, what did that awful Monokuma tell you to hurt you? It's okay, tell Supreme Leader everything, I have connections to scary people that can right all wrongs~" Kokichi says with a coaxing voice, though I can hear a bit of mockery in his words- because of _course._

"Stop _mocking me!_ Mind your own business! I don't need your belittling snide remarks or anything right now!" I snap, wriggling violently out of his hug and whiping more burning hot tears from my eyes.

"I must say, I've never seen anyone as emotionally unstable as Prairie Marble...It's incredible just how unhinged she can be at times," I hear Korekiyo state thoughtfully before he turns to look at the robot beside him. "Kiibo, didn't you mention earlier that you suspected she was improving in her regulation of emotions?"

"I-I mean, yes, I thought so," Kiibo looks a little embarrassed, looking at me and studying my 'blotchy' (as Angie kindly put it) features when I try to dry my tears and only succeed in creating more paths for new tears to travel. "She _was_ doing better…"

"Guys, I suggest we just step aside and do what she wants. We can talk to her when she's got her bearings, flocking her clearly only upsets her more," Kaito urges the others as I notice Kokichi fidgeting with the monomachine beside us.

 _Why would Rantaro willingly participate in a killing game? Does that mean he's the mastermind? Is that essentially the whole of his survival perk? Did Monokuma give me the video because he thinks I'll be incapable of outing Rantaro to the other's because of my attachment to him? Or is it a red herring to make me betray Rantaro and he's simply…_

 _No, he's not "simply" a red herring. He meant what he said in that stupid video. He participated in the killing game and he has participated in a previous killing game before. Maybe he was lying when we were all talking about being shoved in the back of Danganronpa vans in the gym during the first reset._

But he lost his memories of that, right? Which means, this Rantaro isn't the same as the old one?

 _But he could have survived the last killing game by_ _ **murdering someone.**_ _"Until two people are left" are the rules- and it's just Rantaro here, so we can't be sure. I could have been getting cozy with a murderer._

If you're not Perfect Blitz anymore because you've lost your memories during your time as her, how can you not hold Rantaro to that same standard? What if he's not the same as the Rantaro of the previous killing game?

 _That's different, I'm not a_ _ **murderer.**_

It's not for sure that Rantaro is a murderer either. The second survivor could have called it quits and was allowed to go home.

 _Why is everything so complicated? Why is it so hard? I hate thinking about all this! I wish I hadn't watched that stupid motive video!_

Kokichi taps my arm and I snap out of my dark thoughts enough to look his way, having to wipe my tears just so I can see him clearly. He's holding out a can of something that's already been cracked open. He must have tasted it first just now.

"Non-alcoholic Drink of Immortality? I mean, it kinda sucks, buuut...it's something~" he offers, a casual smile on his face as I search for some sort of sign that he's being genuine in his efforts. I can't tell...and it makes me hesitant to take the drink from him. What if it turns out he's got dark secrets of his own he forgot? Just like Rantaro?

What if I end up hurting again?

"Oh, oh? What's the commotion here so early-"

Monokuma's voice blinds me.

I snatch the can out of Kokichi's hand and hurl it towards Monokuma with all the force I can possibly muster in my arm.

When Monokuma expertly dodges the throw and I see where I've thrown the can, my hands fly up to my mouth with a gasp.

I should have thought it was suspicious to hear Monokuma higher off the ground than usual. Maybe I could have used my intuition to ensure it hit Monokuma, but in reality I shouldn't have thrown that can Kokichi was giving me in the first place.

A yelp flies out of Angie as the can hits her dead on with a hard sound, causing Kiibo, Kaito, and Shuichi to all audibly panic while the girl stumbles back and lands on the floor with a whine that only serves to make _me_ panic even more.

Monokuma, who'd jumped off of her shoulder, looks to me and 'tsks'.

"You shouldn't _throw_ things, Miss Marble! Especially heavy cans like that- you could really hurt somebody," Monokuma casually comments as I leap over the counter and rush past him with the others to check on Angie.

"Oh my god-" I yelp, drying my eyes to see her better as Kaito sits her up a bit to examine her head. Angie is tearing up a little and there's a nasty bruise beginning to form a bit to the left of her face- hinting at the grim reality that I could have hit her in the eye and this could have been _much worse._ "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Of course you didn't, that's the PROBLEM. This is _serious!_ There's anger issues, but this? This is on a whole 'nother level!" Kaito actually has the bravery to object first, making me look up at him. He's angry, that's for sure. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, Prairie, believe me, but you need to learn to control yourself!"

"He's right! Your hate for Monokuma...we get it, but you're letting yourself become swallowed up by it! You act as if we aren't even _here_ when he's around, what about that is ordinary? How can I, not even a human, manage to see that when _you_ can't?!" Kiibo scolds me.

"You were doing so good earlier, Prairie...you just need to work harder…" Tsumugi also adds, looking away from me. She can't even look me in the eye admitting it.

I can see what I've done. No one needs to say it.

Even if I am well meaning, my uncontrollable behavior makes me dangerous.

I don't know when, but they all start to leave wordlessly. Kaito has to carry Angie because she's unstable on her feet from the head trauma. Not even Kokichi or Korekiyo are willing to stay back.

Shuichi kneels down beside me for a moment and puts a hand on mine where it is on the floor.

"Don't worry, Prairie. You can do this," he murmurs before standing and following the others out.

After a few minutes, I find myself left alone in the student store.

Now what do I do?

…

I'm ashamed. I feel like everyone has shoved knives into my heart- but I don't blame them for being angry and upset. If anything, I'm angrier at myself than even they are, and it feels like I'm on a merry-go-round of negative emotions with no way out. I can't find relief in any corner, and the throbbing in my chest has this unbearable weight that keeps me rooted to the floor.

"I guess you're not Perfect Blitz after all, huh Miss Marble? You're your own unique and messed up individual! Puhuhu~! I did say I'd eventually break you, didn't I? Hey, so that feeling...what you're feeling now. It's called _despair._ It's a wonderful thing to see on other people's faces. You wear it good!"

Monokuma is still here. That's all I'm left with? Despair?

"I mean, I didn't think it'd be this easy though, but I guess considering all the planning it took and your special situation, it only makes sense. Everyone has something to go back to when they leave the killing game. Family, friends, their careers, maybe a pet or something that shits like that. Your only goal is to get them out, but then what? They'll all go their own way and you'll be left alone with strangers all over again. That's what you're fighting for, Miss Marble. Maybe consider kicking back and relaxing instead! Enjoy your time here, murders and mysteries abound~!"

With that, Monokuma moves to walk out, oddly slower than usual- like he's waiting for me to stop him or something. Whether they're questions of myself, the killing game or the pink kubz pad with Rantaro on it…

I don't have any. I can't bring up the motivation or drive to ask about any more.

I'm not sure I can take any more of this. This has been a mess since the very beginning. Since I first woke up to this place, nothing has gone the way I wanted it to. Whenever I fight, I get everyone upset. When I try and do nothing, my attitude sets off on every little thing and I still get everyone upset. Do I just exist to upset people? Or is my existence just that offensive in general?

"Wow, I guess it really _was_ that easy! Hm, well...that was anticlimactic! I want my money back! You're just as boring as everyone else," Monokuma groans, turning away from the hall as he reaches the doorway out of the student store. "Don't tell me _this_ is really it!"

Monokuma? Giving me attitude for not being exciting enough? This whole time...I guess the only thing I've done is be a nice toy for him to kick around. Maybe I was right about there never being any "progress". There was just a fake breadcrumb trail to make me feel like I was achieving something…

 _I could still try the tunnel...couldn't I?_

"...for the tunnel...if I make it through, we can all leave this place, right? Not just me, but everyone here?" I manage to ask, my voice weak and broken.

"Yeah! 'Official Killing Game Players' that make it to the end can leave along with their friends!" Monokuma confirms, clapping his paws together. "Are you interested in the challenge? Then good luck! With your... _advantage,_ who knows? Maybe you'll be the one to make it to the end!"

He bounds out of the store and with that sliver of hope, I manage to get back up on my feet. My movements feel stiff and heavy like I've been sitting for way too long, but step by step I bring myself to move even though I have this gut feeling. The way Monokuma worded "Official Killing Game Players'...he's probably playing me again. Giving me false hope so he can pour salt into my wounds and drag me deeper into despair.

But I can't help but follow the glimmer of light in the darkness, because it's so much better than facing the alternative. Like that day I chose to sit in the locker than face the struggle of meeting my comrades for the first time again- knowing what awaited us in this killing game- I look away like a coward.

I make my way around the school in total silence, considering there's no one around to speak to anyhow. When I reach the boiler room where the manhole is, I struggle to drag it open on my own, only managing to open it slightly before it becomes too much of a strain. There's barely enough room to wiggle down carefully onto the ladder, but I manage.

When my bare feet meet the cement at the bottom, I pause and stare at the ladder. I rest my forehead against the cool metal and take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever is to come in my endeavors.

Once I'm able, I push away from the ladder and turn to follow the glimmer of hope Monokuma dangles before me, only to push past the gated door and feeling my stomach flip when I see what's ahead of me in this obstacle course. No part of me thought it would be easy, but whatever I was expecting...it wasn't this.

Grenades, flamethrowers, moving platforms and bombs-

 _This place is a death trap…! Kaede and the others really tried going through this together?_

I draw from what little motivation I have in my gut and start walking after I stand there for a moment and study what's in my immediate future.

Imagine my surprise when my first step results in the floor giving away under me, causing me to land in a vat of liquid before I've even managed to actually make the challenge. Booby traps just like Kaede said there would be...I guess if I plan to use my intuition to get through this, I'll potentially need to know every path and trap in this terrible place.

It's not a comforting thought. It seems impossible.

I black out for only a little bit (I think) and come to at the beginning of the tunnel, just where the ladder happens to be. How did I get back here? Well, nevermind that, I'm soaked from head to toe now and all I did was take _one step._

 _Well...I guess nothing else to do but keep trying._

So I do.

I go in twice. Three times.

I go in ten times and then I lose count.

It isn't that I just keep finding new traps though, I keep falling for the same traps constantly, and every time I do, I wake up in the beginning and stumble to my feet to go in again. At some point, and I don't know when I wonder why I'm bothering to chase fake hope. It's not like I expect something to be there. Maybe I just want to do this to feel like I can do _something_ in here without messing up.

So once I reach my limit, I stop and look down. Burns, scrapes and bruises old and new cover my skin under my wet and cold pajamas.

 _...Doubtful that I'll reach the end. I don't think even my intuition can keep up with this. Why bother trying it?_

When I glance around the part of the tunnel I'm in, a new area I've only recently been able to reach with my skill set, I decide this is my limit.

I sit down on a part of the ground and look at the purple and blue lights littering the area, watching the bombs ahead of the tricky hanging platforms going off in the distance by the next gate that once beckoned me onward.

I'm tired. Not just physically, but mentally. I don't want to do any more.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone will find me while I'm in here, so guess in the end I got what I asked for.

I get to be alone.

 _ **End of 3.7 - Tasting Despair**_


	37. 3:8 - Capricious Emotions

_**3.8 - Capricious Emotions**_

It becomes painfully apparent once I've sat in one place that there's not much to do down in the middle of the tunnel, save for progressing which I don't want to do. My only other option is basically to roll around on the ground and do nothing else...except sleep.

"Prairie!"

A voice cuts through my attempts to sleep, making me blink open my dry eyes from my constant mood swings between bitterness with myself and plain exhaustion. When I see Monokid beside me, I'm a little surprised. For a second I look around almost expecting to find myself in my room all over again, but when I see the violet lights of the familiar tunnel, my nerves relax and I stare off towards the gate ahead.

I'm not thinking about anything in particular, so after another attempt at getting my attention, Monokid is successful.

"Prairie, aren't ya tired? I can take you back to your room if ya want! You don't have to stay down here if you don't want to, I know it's cold and stuff and there ain't blankets or pillows around...so whadda ya say?" Monokid offers, stepping to my side to hug onto my arm.

"...It's okay. I just want to stay here for a little longer," I murmur, before feeling something be tossed over my head and back from behind. Almost instantly, the cold is blocked out and I hear Monokid click in slight vexation.

"Monodam, I didn't say to do that yet," Monokid comments as he pulls the blanket back just enough so he can wrap it around me properly. "We can wait till you're ready."

He takes a seat at my side, and to my surprise Monodam wiggles under the blanket to get to my other side, hugging my other arm hesitantly before robotically sitting down like he's unsure of his actions. Did he come of his own volition, or did Monokid drag him down here? Well, I guess it doesn't matter.

...The blanket is nice and warm though, even if I am still a bit damp from falling in the water so much.

"How long have I been down here?" I ask, breaking the silence after a couple of minutes.

"Ah, like five hours give or take...you need to eat!" Monokid comments, rubbing my back and eventually gently pulling on my arm.

"SOMEBODY'S-COMING," Monodam speaks up for the first time to my ears, voice much deeper and robotic sounding than I would have expected. Not even _Kiibo_ sounds as cliche as that.

 _Wait, did he say someone was coming?_

I jump up to my feet and look back the way I came as a knot begins to form in my stomach at the thought of one of the others approaching me essentially when I'm at my most emotional. Who's coming? Why would anyone be down here?

As if sensing the atmosphere, both bears jump up to their feet as well.

"S-Shit. We'll be back later, 'kay? Please get some food when ya can, don't get sick!" Monokid urges me before he and Monodam share a look and then bound away.

 _It's probably best, considering anyone that sees me with the monokubs will only believe that I'm untrustworthy even more than they already do...but did someone figure out I was down here, or are they simply choosing to look here to cover all bases? Actually, are they_ _ **specifically**_ _looking for me, or is this just one of the others coming down to challenge the-?_

Someone far back pops out of the shadows, making me sharply inhale and freeze momentarily at the sight. When a second familiar figure appears beside them, I drop the blanket back and dive down the dark pit in front of me with my eyes closed, turning at the last second so the only thing holding me from falling are my fingers at the edge of the platform. I can feel the blanket graze my legs as it falls further down, leaving a sullen sensation in my thorax.

Somehow I feel more attacked now than I have during situations when I was _literally_ being attacked, and neither of them have even registered my presence yet.

"Hm...you sure little tiny Mousey would be down this tunnel? I mean, didn't you and Kirumi tell everyone to hide the fact there was a tunnel here from her in the first place? I didn't know you thought so highly of her...but aren't you overestimating our innocent little Prairie Dog?" Kokichi asks, his tone of voice sweet like he's trying to play on Rantaro's good side.

"Very funny. Don't play dumb, Kokichi, it's not fitting when we all know you're smarter than that. Besides, it's not like you to check out when Prairie's concerned...actually, why _are_ you so invested in bugging her specifically?" I hear Rantaro's voice drift from afar, causing my heart to clench painfully. Stupid Rantaro…

"Because...I wanna harvest Prairie Dog's organs and sell them on the black market! Do you know the kind of money I could get from a celebrity like that?"

…

"Hah! Don't glare at me like that, you know I'm only _lyyying!_ Aah, I guess the protectiveness is a two way street. She gets irritated when I make bad jokes about you and you get irritated when I make bad jokes about her! You two are such a cute couple," Kokichi snickers.

"Remember how I didn't invite you to tag along with me down here?" Rantaro asks, making me crack a weak smile before realizing what I'm doing and biting down hard on my lip to make it go away. I shouldn't be finding the jokes of a potential murderer funny. He's the most suspicious one of us here. The possible mastermind under Danganronpa's control that concocted the killing game.

I bite a little too hard on my lip and taste blood, wincing as I steady my breathing and force myself keep hanging there. The sliver of a good mood is nice...but I need to be careful. I can't just throw my trust at anyone in here, not after the video of Rantaro that basically debunks why I should trust _him._

It would make sense if he was the mastermind. He knew just _enough_ about the killing game during the second reset- about Junko Enoshima, about the workings of the killing game, about expecting Monokuma to be among us after learning there were at least sixteen teenagers present.

What else did he say in the video? "This is the killing game you wished for"...that part is a bit perplexing.

So Rantaro wanted the killing game...but he also wanted to actively _participate_ in it, fully aware of the murder and suicidal aspect of it all? Keeping that in mind and momentarily putting aside the possibility that the mastermind is Rantaro, why would _any_ mastermind walk into the killing game as a "participant"? How could they do that to themselves? It's gambling their own life away, isn't it? They're _in_ on the whole thing and working for Danganronpa, the group behind Monokuma and the killing games, so why essentially throw an employee as a character in it? Is the employee being tricked into it, or are they just that delusional?

Now, bringing Rantaro back into the mix...why erase his memories if he's the mastermind? Sure, he could totally be faking it and he could remember everything, but the tablet message he supposedly sent to himself completely debunks that. Heck, even Monokuma through the Monokubs said it wasn't meant for me, so if that's true, there's no reason for it to be some sort of trick.

Hopefully…

 _...Boy, Shuichi was right. Using a little logic definitely helps. No, I don't think I'll be jumping into Rantaro's arms anytime soon, but...at least I'm not about to lose my head over the video again either._

Maybe it's for the best we still stay apart. Whether or not he's the mastermind, he still stated he was in a previous killing game. A _survivor_ of it by unknown means, to be exact. That means he still might not be the healthiest or safest of company. I can admit it's crushing. It _hurts_ thinking about it and how he lied to me in the beginning. Maybe he didn't want to scare me, but…

Look at where all his over protectiveness has gotten us.

Monokuma saw an opportunity in my sour situation with Rantaro, stuffed a chisel between our already fracturing bond, and struck it with a hammer.

He knows that even with me realizing what he's trying to accomplish, there's no way I'll be able to get over this enough to want to be around Rantaro. And lucky enough for Monokuma, my fit following the view of the video made my status among my peers even worse than it already was. I probably even did Monokuma an extra favor by making the target on my back larger.

…

 _But maybe that in itself should be why I ought to try and re-integrate even if I don't want to...but what can I do to make them trust me? I won't say they trusted me in the beginning, that was mostly false trust in the idol Perfect Blitz, who was erased with my memories. I guess it's gonna be an uphill battle...granted I decide to go that route and stop following Monokuma's breadcrumb trail._

I'm snapped out of my musings when I hear a whistle above me, making my head snap up from where I'm hanging. For a moment there, I forgot where I was. I was getting so used to the fact that my fingers feel utterly numb from hanging there, but fully coming back to my senses makes me aware of the exertion and pain almost immediately.

Kokichi peers down at me, visibly impressed going by his expression. Then again, that could just be one of those masks of his.

"Nee-hee-hee! Damn, how long have you been hanging there, Prairie Dog?" He asks with a grin, arms behind his neck as Rantaro appears beside him wide eyed at the sight of me dangling over the pit. He instantly leans down to attempt fishing me out of a possible bruise inducing fall, already on his knees by my side. On impulse, I frown and lift one of my hands-

-before slapping Rantaro's outreaching palm aside with a growl of disdain that makes Kokichi laugh in amusement. I let out a heavy breath midst my slight panting from the workout and feel myself slide down lower as a result of my choice to remove one of my hands from the side of the pit.

"Prairie, come on, we can talk," Rantaro directs to me, but rather than respond to his first words to me since our little refusal to talk to one another, I look down at the pit. He must understand my intentions, because he adds, "You'll just end up at the beginning of the tunnel if you go down, you know that. Whether we talk now or later, we're going to have to have a conversation about things eventually."

My hand is ready to slip and there's no way I'm reaching for Rantaro's hand, so I open my mouth to respond to his statement even though I know we're most likely going to talk sooner than later.

 _Am I letting Monokuma win if I go ahead and let myself walk away from Rantaro?_

I want to believe Rantaro's video is missing key points like Shuichi said, and that he's actually the good (but massively idiotic) guy I think he is.

Well, a girl can dream...and give him a little suffering of his own while she's at it.

"I'm gonna need a few business days," I simply say before letting go completely of the wall to let myself drop into the pit. Needless to say, Rantaro doesn't take my response too well and tries to reach down and catch me before I fall, Kokichi having to grab the back of his shirt to prevent him from falling in after me.

 _"'Business days' my-!"_ Rantaro growls, but ultimately misses as I fall.

A yelp is startled out of me when my feet slam down painfully hard on a ledge near the side of the wall, making my knees buckle and my back whip downwards so I begin falling headfirst.

 _What was that?!_

That's the only thought that manages to form in my mind before I inexplicably pass out. It's not from landing though. I still don't actually know what happens in that tunnel, just that if I fall, I never hit a bottom that knocks me out. Heck, when a grenade or bomb goes off, I also black out inexplicably. In actuality, the bruises and cuts all over me are due to the fact I'm wearing terrible clothing for running around down here and I mostly get them when I brush too close to things or trip over stuff.

Nevertheless, I always return to the beginning of the tunnel, just like Rantaro said.

Which is precisely what happens when I wake up at the beginning of the tunnel again just beside Rantaro and Kokichi, both of which are notably coming to like I am. Presumably, they either jumped in after me or tried to go through the tunnel backwards and fell under some traps- because what else was bound to happen?

 _When I fell, my feet hit a ledge on the way down...was it a vent? Maybe I should-_

"No, we're leaving. We need you up top," Rantaro stops me, still visibly unstable from our awakening despite that he's caught my wrist and is clinging to it tightly to make sure I can't run away.

"I don't want to go up top," I object, even though I know continuing to hide from my mistakes is futile at this point and I can't hide _forever._ Besides, I can guess what they want me up there for- talking about the motive video I didn't get of my 'most important loved ones' that Monokuma just _couldn't_ get a hold of even at the last minute even though I'm a supposed big celebrity.

 _So long as it's not a motive about stabbing me in the back, they want to include me in the conversation, huh?_

"Aww, don't worry, Prairie Dog! Rantaro already chewed us all out for what happened with Angie! He said it's a-okay you thonked Our Lady of Perpetual Holiness in the face with a heavy can!" Kokichi chirps, sitting up with a hand pressed to his forehead. he's swaying a little, like he's still dizzy from the tunnel knock-out.

Even I can tell that's a lie before Rantaro opens his mouth to dispute it.

"No, that's not what I said," he throws Kokichi's way with a glare before turning me to face him and taking both my hands in his. "I said it wasn't your fault and it was an accident. Shuichi told me you asked them to leave and they didn't, so that's not on you...still, don't throw go throwing things around like that- even at Monokuma. You know he's not going to wait till you're alone to try and harass you, so you still need to work on that temper."

 _UGH._

I want to lash out again. Not even an hour into our first real conversation, and he's already at it with his ordering me around like he's in charge of me.

"The more you tell me what to do, the more I want to do the exact opposite," I notify Rantaro rudely with a snarl on my face, watching him narrow his eyes like he didn't expect me to react that way to his words. How did he _think_ I would take it? Contrary to Kokichi's nickname for me, I'm not an actual dog.

"PFFT!" Kokichi laughs, pointing at Rantaro and slapping his knee as he cracks up. "I tried to tell you, but you still don't get it, Runturdo."

"Get what? That she's stubborn and doesn't like listening to the voice of reason because she prefers to run around with infantile delusions?" Rantaro asks, obviously taking a jab at me to my immediate offense. My jaw drops and I reach out to whack him aside his head with a furious growl, leaning back to try and pull my wrist out of his iron grip.

Kokichi clicks his tongue with pity, watching us as I consider kicking Rantaro in the mouth when he stops me from hitting him again.

"See? If you were a little more logical _,_ you would try using your words rather than you fists," Rantaro comments, only firing my temper up even more. Now I _really_ want to kick him in the mouth...but fine.

He wants words? I'll give him some freaking words.

"You're a snot-haired nincompoop with the proportion of your fat mouth bigger than your brain," I snap, watching Rantaro's expression dip into something bordering on horror and anger.

"At least it's not like the off-kilter proportion of your massive ego compared to your ability to act like a decent civilized member of society!" Rantaro shoots right back, not even hesitating.

Infuriated beyond belief, I bring my wrist up and clamp my teeth down hard on his arm, hearing him curse when I clench my jaw as hard as possible despite him trying to remove me. When he does, I only continue insulting him.

"Idiot control freak!"

"You're being a real brat right now…!"

"Children, children~! Calm down, the name calling is unnecessary," Kokichi says, standing up with an air of maturity before he breaks character to sputter with laughter and then clears his throat to look at us.

I have some of Rantaro's hair in my fist and he's paused mid trying to wrestle me off of him, the both of us staring at Kokichi dangerously due to the interruption.

"Sure, Rantaro, she's stubborn, but not logical? Nah, Prairie's a smart mousey in her own right. I don't think you're as dumb as a chicken with it's head cut off like she maybe does, but rather a chicken with it's head hanging on by a few fleshy threads! You just need to learn to look at things from Prairie Dog's perspective and you'll have less of a hard time understanding her!" Kokichi comments to my surprise as I release Rantaro's hair and feel my temper start to somewhat dissolve.

Is Kokichi saying he understands me? ...Well, I appreciate the fact he's saying it in a way to let Rantaro know that _he_ totally doesn't understand me, but I don't think even Kokichi understands me as well as he thinks. Or does he?

I guess there's no real way for me to decipher that. He's not an open book at all.

It's while I'm sitting there thinking that I realize Kokichi has taken off his scarf and is now unbuttoning his coat, making my face burn when I see his state and promptly slapping my hands hard over my eyes so I _can't_ see him without a shirt. I know what happened the last time I saw a guy shirtless, and I don't want it to happen again.

To my unexpected bewilderment, Kokichi throws his coat around my shoulders and eventually I remove my hands when I feel him pull my arms to get me to slip them in the sleeves of the coat. Unsure of why he'd be giving it to me in the first place, I let him maneuver my arms in the sleeves and allow him pull the scarf over my head after.

He pauses and gives me a thoughtful look before grinning, leaving me wholly confused about this turn of events after arguing around with the now placated Rantaro beside us. What is even going on?

"Why am I wearing your coat and scarf again?" I ask, fixing my hair so it's not trapped under the clothing. I'm not exactly sure what answer I'm expecting, whether it be another of his tricks or him being genuinely concerned about me.

On that note, that's been a recurring theme in my thoughts regarding the rat as of late- and honestly, I don't like how much my brain has been trying to sway me in favor of Kokichi. He's still someone I have to watch out for, he's made it clear to me time and time again not to get close to him. What I need to solidify in my brain is that he's likely unconcerned and using these sort of tactics to get me to trust him more to his _own_ benefit.

Rats will be rats.

"We can't have you going up to the dining hall in those naughty jammies of yours! Unless of course you _want_ to...truth of the matter is though, that thing doesn't leave anything to the imagination! How rude! Those are spoilers, you know?" Kokichi claims to my horror, making me hurriedly button the coat up and hug myself protectively in response to his cheery laughter.

See? With Kokichi, there's always a catch. He's a rat through and through.

"So are you implying I'm wrong about the things I've said about Prairie then, Kokichi?" Rantaro speaks up, making Kokichi turn to him.

"You tell me. You're the one that's making Prairie Dog have an inferiority complex," Kokichi boldly accuses before facing me with a hopeful grin as he hops to my side. "I'm on spot, aren't I, Prairie Dog? Nee-hee-hee! I know! I'm good at this~"

My cheeks are still hot at the fact he's shirtless, so I try not to look at him as I fish another little insult to Rantaro to distract myself.

"Jeez, what do you want, Kokichi? Just because you lay it out for him doesn't mean snot-vocado for brains will understand it…" I drop innocently, causing Rantaro to grunt. When I look his way, I return the glare he's giving me.

"As immature as ever, huh, Prairie? You just keep coming with the most juvenile of remarks, how about you take a break. I think you're overdue for your afternoon nap time," he comments calmly with purpose, a total contrast to how he'd been acting moments before Kokichi stopped us. Like I'll let that little childish break in his attitude slide when he doesn't ever let them slide when it comes to me.

"Like you were five minutes ago? I'd ask you to tell me something I don't know, but I guess that's asking too much from your single brain cell," I say, looking down my hair as I twirl the ends of my damp curls with two fingers.

"...Well! At least you two are talking again instead of completely pretending you don't exist! Yay progress!" Kokichi chirps before crouching down to point at the ladder behind us. "In case you both forgot though, there's a group waiting for us flipside and I have no idea how long we've been down here. Who knows? Maybe we've been down here so long that everyone's already KILLED each other and we're the only ones left! So close to freedom! Now we just need one of us to make a heroic sacrifice so two players are left! Onetwothree- _not it!"_

…

Now Rantaro and I are staring at _Kokichi_ dryly.

"Let's just go," I huff, standing and making sure to shove Rantaro's shoulder with mine on the way to the ladder so he gets it in his thick skull that I'm not happy with him at all. He makes a grunt of irritation but stands up and follows me up after Kokichi, the three of us making our way to the dining hall straight away.

Sure, I'd like to change to something appropriate than my pajamas and Kokichi's coat- maybe even take a shower and lock myself in my room for the rest of eternity until the sun expands, dies out with a bang, and becomes a white dwarf surrounded by the solar system that once danced around it.

Sadly that's not an option, and not even because it's overdramatic. Instead, I'm escorted to the dining hall in the state I was found in, following Kokichi when we enter the dining hall.

When some of the others look up to see what I'm wearing and what Kokichi isn't, expressions twist with confusion. I just look away and let Kokichi bask in the attention he's receiving, considering he looks to be enjoying my suffering more than he probably should.

"Finally! What took you guys so lonnn…?" Kaito trails off when his eyes look up from whatever conversation he was having with Kirumi, landing on Kokichi and I before dying away on his lips.

Tenko outright shrieks with horror, although honestly I can't understand why. I'm just wearing Kokichi's coat, and while it's understandably embarrassing, I don't see how it could be a cause for concern. Or is she upset because I'm wearing the clothing of the biggest rat in this place?

"W-Whoa, Prairie! You're all beat up! What in the world happened to you?!" Kiibo asks, glancing from Rantaro to Kokichi and back to me. He looks to be processing something I'm already sure is totally wrong and eventually marches on over quickly to me, grabbing my hands unexpectedly and making direct eye contact with me.

Walking in here after what happened last night with Angie and the heavy can, I thought they'd all be glaring daggers at me. I honestly thought everyone, save for idiot Rantaro, would really hate me at this point and I fully expected the others to make it known I was unwelcomed among them. So the fact that no one is giving me dark looks in this room, other than maybe Maki because she never liked me in the first place, is sort of weird. I feel like I've suddenly stepped into an alternate universe.

"Did Rantaro and Kokichi _assault_ you?!" Kiibo asks, and of course Kokichi immediately jumps on that train, violet eyes flashing with glee.

"It was _Rantaro's_ fault! He's a brute!" Kokichi exclaims in an intense fashion, which I can't help but take the opportunity as it is and bitterly remark, "Totally Rantaro's fault."

Rantaro shoots us sharp glares at our comments, making Kokichi snicker in amusement and lean over to link arms with mine until I swat off his attempts and step away from him. To my annoyance, he steps over my way to regain the space and I don't repeat the action because I know from experience that it would be futile with him in question.

"Okay, step aside, Prairie! I'll deck both of those dolts for touching even a single hair on your pretty little head!" Tenko announces, only to be held back by Tsumugi and Kirumi.

"She was in the middle of the Death Road of Despair," Rantaro plainly states to calm the raging Tenko down, causing a collective gasp among everyone.

"What? Wait, who told her about it?!" Kaito asks, looking around at everyone for the culprit- and incidentally staring at Kokichi long enough that the violet haired teen simply flashes him a lovely smile. He's not saying anything though, probably just to mess with Kaito a little.

 _ **That's**_ _what Kaito first asks? Who told me? As if I have no right knowing my surroundings or something? Isn't he one of the people that supposedly "believes in me"?_

"W-What does that even matter? She deserved to know!" Tenko suddenly snaps, giving Kaito a deadly look. "Who are _you_ to keep things from her?!"

"Ah, so may we all take that as a confession on your behalf to having told Prairie of the Death Road of Despair then?" Korekiyo inquires with a tone of mild amusement, resulting in Tenko's nasty look being aimed at _him_ next.

"As a matter of fact, it wasn't me, but I agreed to it!"

 _"Kaede_ did it," I say at the same time as Tenko unexpectedly does, resulting in surprise even coating my face besides Rantaro's at that point. There's a visceral sensation of gritty satisfaction that settles in my gut as I burn the expressions of everyone else into my memory for something to look back on and laugh at a later time, even though I know it's not funny at all from either my perspective or _theirs_ for that matter. I'm upset they hid it from me and they're clearly upset I know about the tunnel. Regardless of that though, it's refreshing to be able to yoink that little fact out and be able to slap them all in the face with it now since I've pretty much known about it even before I tested the waters with Shuichi, Kirumi, and Rantaro earlier in this very dining hall after Kaede's death.

The fact _Tenko_ even knew though? Well, I guess she never mentioned it because Kaede...told her she told me? I wonder when she told her that though...I guess she hung out with Tenko at some point before Miu did what she did.

As for Snot-taro...my guess is that he knew I figured out the existence of the tunnel before prodding them in the dining hall, but didn't quite realize it was _that_ early on.

"...Oh," Kiibo comments in a somewhat strangled voice, allowing me to keep steady eye contact with his now somewhat embarrassed expression when I pull my hands out of his and take a step back.

"Are you guys done? We're all here now. Let's get this thing over with," Maki speaks up, prompting me to look away from Kiibo to find her red eyes trained on me.

Actually...everybody's eyes are on me now.

 _Ah, there's that other shoe that I'd been waiting to drop._

Suddenly I feel somewhat anxious and like I should have just not come here at all, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck prickle uncomfortably like my nerves are waiting for someone to lash out at me. No one's addressed that thing with Angie yet, not even Angie herself who I can see sporting a black eye now. I wince at that visual, directing my gaze downwards with mild shame. I don't like her, but heck, I didn't wanna nail her in the face with a can.

Although Kokichi stated that Rantaro defended me before I got here, I still don't exactly feel like anyone's on my side here but Tenko. Maybe not all of the others have it out for me, like Gonta or Shuichi for example, but it still feels like it. Those two aren't entirely honest with me either, even if they're making a show to _try_ and support me.

Seems like the only one who wholeheartedly believes in me is basically, as I mentioned before, Tenko...I think I can live with that though.

"Um...can somebody tell me why Kokichi gave Prairie his coat first? I'm confused, I thought that...Rantaro…?" Tsumugi weakly points from Rantaro to Kokichi and then to me, eventually readjusting her glasses with a perplexed expression like she's thinking unnecessarily hard about something.

"Why that matter?" Gonta asks, scratching his head in confusion as he stares down at Tsumugi.

"Don't worry, Gonta. It doesn't," Ryoma casually comments, sipping something Kirumi has served him in a mug at the table.

"Anyways then...glad you're okay, Prairie. Um...we're sorry! Like _really_ sorry," Kiibo evidently starts things off with, causing me to look back at Kiibo who's inched closer indecisively and then bows so I have to step back yet again to avoid being knocked over by his torso essentially turning his body into a right triangle as he leans forward. Next, Kaito speaks up again.

"Gah, we get we were a little too hard on you yesterday...we're still not happy about what happened, but an accident is an accident. We're sorry we all yelled at you and stuff. That wasn't very cool of us," Kaito sighs, giving me an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too," Tsumugi also says, breaking free from her thoughts and casting me a small smile as well.

"Sorry, Prairie," Angie surprisingly pipes up, making me look her way again to see that she's grinning my way, black eye and all- even calling me by my name for once rather than "Perfect Blitz".

I know they're apologizing for yelling at me regarding the accident and that they mean it to some degree...but let's ignore the part where Shuichi, Korekiyo, and Kokichi totally aren't apologizing. From my perspective, I think I appreciate _their_ silence more than I appreciate the apologies from the others. For one, Kaito and Kiibo both got angry at me and didn't hesitate to criticize me on spot. How am I supposed to feel about that? Korekiyo, Shuichi, Kokichi, and Tsumugi didn't try to defend me either. They just _let it happen._

Angie isn't included in any of my frustrations though, I owe her more of an apology than she owes me for that stupid can I ended up throwing at her.

"Angie, you don't need to apologize for anything, I owe you more of an apology than you owe me. As for the rest of you...I don't accept your apologies. And before you ask why, because I don't want to. And I don't owe you any explanation. Let's move on," I state as simply as I can, watching the party in question give me incredulous looks at my disregard for what I'm sure they think are honest apologies on their end.

 _They're only sorry about yelling at me for the accident. They're not even owning up to the fact they basically crowded me like I was a circus performer when I was visibly upset and asking them to leave me be._

Kiibo stutters a little, but before he can get anything out like a "why" or whatever else the robot could possibly pull out of his mechanical posterior, Kokichi speaks up.

"So to the videos!" Kokichi changes topics back on its rightful course. I know he's not doing it for me, but I immediately feel some sense of relief knowing we're not discussing the matters of my statement any further even though I can see that Kiibo really wants to address it. Eventually though, he relents and seems to drop the subject.

"...Alright...well, there's no doubt they're motives. They say as much in the titles, but I do wonder why they were given to us at random," Kiibo speaks up first on the matter after walking back over to the dining table near Shuichi and leaning on it to tap his metal fingers on the surface with clicks. Had it not been for him walking over there, I wouldn't have noticed Shuichi trying to make eye contact with me and gesturing to the empty chair beside me with a sympathetic smile.

Momentarily, I wonder whether it's wise to join him since he's one of the people I'm upset with, maybe to a lesser degree, but eventually I ditch Rantaro and Kokichi to take a seat beside him. Honestly, it's better than standing next to Snot-vocado and Rat Face, even if I am still mildly irritated at him.

Shuichi reaches out and puts a hand over mine, offering me a smile I try to return even if it's hard for me to do.

"R-Right! Why Gonta get Tsumugi's video instead of his own-?"

"DON'T DO THAT!" Kiibo shouts loudly in an attempt to speak over Gonta's reveal, even though it's too late and we all heard what he said.

"Eh?" Gonta half squeaks with a hint of shame despite his massive size.

"Ahhh, I already heard...I see, so Gonta has my video, huh…?" Tsumugi says more to herself than to anyone else, eyeing Gonta from where she's seated.

"Kiibo, are you suggesting we _don't_ swap motive videos then? Because honestly…I kind of want to see mine," Rantaro speaks up casually, seemingly firing up Kiibo's prepared argument against it.

"Absolutely not! We shouldn't exchange them," Kiibo confirms.

 _Right, right. I'm glad Kiibo gets it, it would be bad if...wait. What was it that Kiibo first said when bringing up the motive videos again?_

"Why not? We're talking about our _'most important loved ones'_ here, you know? Obviously we'd all wanna see, right?" Ryoma points out.

"That's exactly why. I don't know what their intentions are, but we were given those motives at random...so as long as we don't exchange them, we won't have to look at our own motive," Kiibo explains, making my brain zero in on the issue I knew I nearly missed.

"I can already see a problem with that," I speak up. "You're saying _everyone_ got a video at random, right? So it was a luck of the draw?"

Everyone is silent at my interruption at first, enough that I begin to regret speaking up. We were getting so into the topic I almost forgot everyone dislikes me right now...and probably even more after my blatant disregard for part of the groups "heartfelt" apology. To my relief, Kirumi comes to my rescue.

"Yes, it was all random...why do you ask?" Kirumi inquires, seeming to display honest curiosity and willing to hear me out as she's setting out drinks for some of us at the table.

I swallow thickly, nervous about speaking up again.

"If it was all random...how do you know _everyone_ got different videos? There's a one in fourteen chance at least one of us got our respective video and is now walking around with their actual motive," I point out.

Silence envelopes the dining hall again when Kiibo opens his mouth and lifts a finger, before promptly rethinking his words and faltering. He lands in his chair with a thud just as Kirumi appears and sets a glass of orange juice in front of me, making me look up to see her flash a familiar warm smile my way.

Well, it's no nectarine juice, but I'll take it. Actually... _is_ nectarine juice even a thing? I think it should be.

"Well, I'm glad Prairie caught that. 'Cause I'd be opposed to not seeing my own video," Ryoma speaks up.

 _Yeah, I guess I understand those sentiments...if I had a video of my most important loved ones, I'd want to see it too. So much for_ _ **that**_ _though, all I got was a video of a lying jerk being a lying jerk._

"I agree with Ryoma! Seeing our own videos _would_ be better!" Kokichi bluntly chirps, suddenly appearing behind my chair in all his bare chested glory so I nearly choke on my drink. Shuichi slaps my back lightly in panic to get me to breathe again as I set down my drink and cough into a napkin, Kokichi more or less ignoring my frazzled state. "And I mean that _regardless_ of what Prairie Dog said."

"W-Why? By doing that...are you _trying_ to get us to divide among ourselves?!" Kiibo demands, straightening up and getting up from his chair to march on over past Shuichi's chair to wave him away from me where I'm half leaned completely over the table to avoid being close to the stupid shirtless rat. "And would you _quit_ that? Can you see you're making Prairie uncomfortable?!"

"Nope. And Kii-boy, you're completely misunderstanding...I'm not thinking that it's fine if I get killed or anything like that…" Kokichi comments, plopping down on the free seat to left to escape Kiibo's shooing and crossing his legs almost daintily as he proceeds to innocently draw a figure eight on the table surface with a finger. "I just happen to think that it's better if we don't cooperate…or rather, we absolutely shouldn't _cooperate_ no matter what!"

"We shouldn't cooperate…? Why not?!" Tenko demands, bearing a face of pure bewilderment and confusion at Kokichi's outlandish comment.

 _Absolutely shouldn't cooperate. Where's he going with this? What has he noticed that I haven't? This is new to me._

"Come on, try and remember all the tricks Monokuma's used up until now, okay? Every time we've tried to tackle things optimistically with our heads held high, Monokuma's come around to boot us off our high horses, hasn't he? We all keep trying to stick together because of what Kaede said in the beginning, but don't forget how _that_ ended. Now that we're all back to reeling up the parade of rainbows and sunshine, what do you think's gonna happen? Monokuma failed to get his trial or execution last round because of the First Blood Perk Miu took advantage of, so we know he's out for blood now," Kokichi explains, more than happy to take a bottle of a sort of grape soda from Kirumi when she offers it to him. What does the label say? "Panda"? "In other words, it's precisely because we try to unite that he comes to torment us."

Kirumi refills my glass with more orange juice from a small pitcher, humming in thought at Kokichi's words.

"So as long as we don't unite, he won't torment us...is that what you're saying?" The Ultimate Maid inquires, just as Kokichi lifts his feet and rests them on my lap as I'm thinking.

Before he can answer her, I speak up.

 _"Remove them, or I'll break them."_

"Nishishi~! My love, Prairie Dog, only tells me the _sweetest_ of things," Kokichi playfully comments, thankfully removing them as I've ordered.

 _Still...Kokichi makes a valid point. Kaede told me before when she was leading them through the tunnel, things went from hopeful to hopeless real fast. And then the incident with Kaede nearly murdering me...our talk and my forgiveness make the situation seem hopeful- salvageable. Things were supposed to get better, but Miu ended up killing her- another of the same pattern if not indirectly caused by Monokuma having made Kaede believe I was secretly on his side._

 _And finally with me...I was confident in my actions at the beginning and then I almost reached my limit with that stupid video of Rantaro. Monokuma is playing us like ping-pong balls._

"Prairie has the most logical point though. Perhaps we should ask _her_ what she thinks?" Korekiyo's voice breaks through my concentration. Ask me? About what?

"Some of us want to exchange motives and some of us don't. What do you propose based on your observations about our situation regarding the videos already being compromised?"

Everyone is staring at me again. I realize I feel stupid in Kokichi's coat and scarf. The fact Korekiyo is willing to ask me my opinion though? I guess he was being truthful when he said he really doesn't have a solid moral compass. He just likes observing human behaviors, I guess.

"Why are we asking her? In case you didn't notice, she wasn't even listening to us," Maki remarks, glaring at me from across the room. If looks could kill, I'd be crucified and set to be crucified three times over in my next few lives reincarnated.

I want to snap at her that I totally was, but I admittedly checked out a bit to brainstorm on Monokuma's actions like Kokichi pointed out. Honestly, it's more important to me than these motive videos, considering I don't even have a proper one.

"...I wasn't listening either…" I hear Himiko say slowly, lifting her head from the table and making some of us glance her way curiously. Other than that comment though, she lays her head back down on the table once more and falls silent to stick her index finger in her glass of soda and watch the liquid drip back into the cup from the end of her finger tip.

"Ah, okay. I do have a suggestion, but I'm sure no one will like it whatsoever. Especially coming from someone that doesn't have a proper motive video myself," I explain, causing some of the others to give me funny looks.

"Wait, then...but wasn't Shuichi talking about a video yesterday when you flipped out?" Kaito asks with little to no tactfulness that I try not to get irritated over.

"Ah, well-" Shuichi steps in this time, clearing his throat to speak. "She had a video, but I don't believe it was a _motive_ video. More like the exact opposite...nor did it have any of her 'most important loved ones'. I suspect she doesn't have a proper one because even if she did, it wouldn't be very motivating because she's an amnesiac and the only people she knows is...us."

A long silence passes over everyone and I irritably swallow down the feelings of sullen loneliness from my system before I can tell the others to stop patronizing me with their looks of pity.

I'm fine. We're busy. That point is only a speck compared to the main issues at hand.

"So if Prairie didn't watch a motive video of her most important loved ones, what _did_ she watch to set her off?" Tsumugi asks. "She was saying things like, 'words he used' and 'what he said', but it didn't sound like she was talking about Monokuma when she yelling...but if there's no point giving her a video of someone outside of the killing game, then…?"

 _With that logic, she'll realize it's one of the boys here. Still, there's no way they'd be able to figure out which one, there's not enough evidence._

Despite me thinking that however, eyes begin to drift over to Rantaro to my surprise. Before I can question it, Ryoma speaks up.

"Definitely him. If I were an annoying robot bear trying to break Prairie's spirit, I'd go straight for Rantaro Amami. Especially since their relationship is strained right now," The Ultimate Tennis player states plainly, looking back at Shuichi and I. After a moment of silence, he adds, "I'll take the fact that neither of you look ready to disagree with me to confirm that guess."

Shuichi and I still don't deny it.

"...Prairie-"

I scowl at the sound of Rantaro's velvety voice directed to me again after our time in the tunnel. He sounds like he's trying to be gentle and careful with me again, and my stomach turns at that fact. In fact, just before when we were insulting and flinging snark at each other in the tunnel, he managed to treat me like an equal _then-_ which is pathetic! I shouldn't have to get him ANGRY with me just for him to treat me like I'm in his age range rather than in the age range of a toddler.

"Save it for someone that cares," I snap at the likely well meaning Rantaro, unable to stop myself before my frown dips into something a little less fiery. "Just leave me alone…"

There's a palpable sensation of disquieting in the room, my heart racing just a bit faster when I hear Kokichi clear his throat from beside me. Turning and seeing his expressionless stare lasering into me, he makes a gesture with his hand for me to speak. Speak about what though? We were talking about-

Oh. Right.

"Um, a-anyways…" I start off again, rubbing my cheeks to stop my face from heating up as I look down at the table. "If we keep hold of the videos we have, we risk the possibility of the fact someone with their own video is already working out a murder based on their motive. However, if we _swap_ videos, that would _also_ be bad. Because then everyone would be walking around with a motive and that makes everyone dangerous."

"Nyeh…? But if not swapping and swapping are both bad...shouldn't we go with the lesser of two evils and just not swap like Kiibo said?" Himiko asks, making me look up at her and shake her head.

"No. Here comes the part everyone hates: if we really want to nip the problem in the bud, I suggest we all watch every motive video one by one _together._ This will ensure everyone will be able to tell who has the highest potential to kill and who has the lowest potential to kill. Although...since I'm not someone with a motive video, you guys don't need to count me in that 'together' if you don't want to. I could go with or without it, I'm sure," I say, watching as a couple of the students in the dining hall wince collectively. I think I can guess why: the motive on my life.

I'm tired of waiting for someone to bring it up. So Tenko knew Kaede told me about the tunnel, but she had all this time to tell me about the Kill-Prairie Motive.

"Do you guys honestly think I'm that dense? _Really?"_ I ask after a sigh, getting up and pushing away from the table. "I know Monokuma essentially turned me into a golden target. Cool, boo-hoo and stuff, but dying isn't anywhere in my schedule book. Either way, I gave you guys my suggestion and it's up to you to do what you feel with it since it has nothing to do with me."

I'm already out the doorway when I hear Gonta slightly panic from in the dining hall.

"B-But Gonta...Gonta's important loved ones need secrecy! Gonta no can just _show_ that to anyone!" I hear him say, answering back without turning my head, "Well, you're just gonna have to weigh the options. Hold your secrets and risk never seeing them again, or share your secrets and you'll have a better chance at returning to them. I can't choose for you, Gonta."

"I like that idea! Atua likes the idea as well! He says this will definitely benefit us in our battle against Monokuma for sure~!"

"Great. Do you see what you've done by asking her? I oppose the idea."

"Khehehe...actually, Maki, I have no regrets inquiring, I'm perfectly content with sharing my motive video. I do however wonder if you have something to hide by opposing…"

I manage to hurry away from the dining hall and get to the exit of the school before I start jogging back to the dormitory building and to my room. Once I'm alone, I lock my door and slide against its surface to the floor with a breath of relief. That went...a lot better than I expected it to. I was so upset, worried and scared that no one was going to talk to me ever again after what I did to Angie...and somehow none of the Earth shattering ideas I was considering ever happened.

 _Well, I guess that's irrational human nature for you. Making things that shouldn't be too scary feel like it's impossible to get past...but the damage was definitely still done, and I won't ignore that. Maybe they don't_ _ **hate**_ _me, but they definitely jumped to try and get me under "control"._

 _They can keep trying if they want, but the only person that gets to control me is myself._

Pushing off of the floor and standing up, I pull off Kokichi's coat and scarf along with my pajama top and…

The door swings open.

"Hey, Prairie Do-!"

 _"GET OUT, YOU RAT!"_ I shout at the top of my lungs, flinging the clothing at his face in my panic so he jumps back a step with his vision obscured. I don't hesitate to slam the door on him, my face as hot as an inferno as I lock the door _again_ and grab a nearby chair to prop it up under the door knob. "You _better_ not have seen anything!"

I hear laughter after I presume he's fought his way out of the tangle of clothing I threw at him, making my cheeks only burn even hotter as I hug myself for comfort.

"Awe, it's okay, I only saw a quick flash! Nothing to worry about!" Kokichi answers to my horror, until I remember who I'm dealing with and replay his words in my head. What if he's not lying though?

"W-Well! Forget whatever you saw! And STOP BREAKING INTO MY ROOM! Screw you and your stupid lock picking set, Rat Face!" I shout, stamping a foot and sinking to the floor again when I start to feel dizzy with embarrassment.

 _I refuse to pass out over something this moron did, I refuse to pass out over something this moron did…_

"Nee-hee-hee! Just get cleaned up and knock on my door when you're done! I wanna hang out with you today," I hear him say, making me scowl and purse my lips as I glare at the blocked door. I may be feeling better now than I was before, all things considered, but there's no circumstance in which I'd want to spoil it with the dude that lives to compress and twist people's thoughts and feelings around like demented accordions.

Besides, I want to go down into the tunnel again. I know where all of the traps are up to that point where I stopped, so I should be able to get past all the traps and keep my clothes clean using my intuition. That thing my feet hit...I want to try climbing into it. It could be dangerous, but then again, what _isn't_ dangerous in here? Just breathing and taking a walk outside in the courtyard could be dangerous.

Hanging out with _Kokichi_ could be considered dangerous too.

"What makes you think _I_ want to hang out with _you?"_ I ask, causing Kokichi to immediately answer, "Oh you know. The three C's."

 _The three what? "Three C's"? What in the…_

 _...Is he teasing me about that "charming", "cute", "charismatic" thing again?!_

"Add a fourth 'C'! The 'C' for ' _crass'!"_

 _ **End of 3.8 - Capricious Emotions**_


	38. 3:9 - Detour

_**3.9 - Detour**_

 _Okay, if I make a run for it past his room door, maybe I can avoid hanging out with him._

I carefully twist the knob around, cracking my door a little and poking my head out to scan the dormitories lobby. No one is out there waiting for me from what I can see.

Perfect, not a rat in sight-

 _"There's_ my favorite Mousey!" I hear someone say as soon as I go to lock my door, making me squeak guiltily and turn to try to make a run for it. I haven't turned my key entirely to get it back out though, so my arm is yanked back by the fact. By the time I'm able to get my key out, Kokichi already has one arm around my waist and is steering me towards his room to my utter dismay. "Aw, did you think I expected you would willingly knock on my door? Sorry, but my brain is a little bigger than that~!"

"Kokichi, have I ever told you how much I dislike you? And stop touching my sides all the time! It tickles!" I complain, swatting his arm off of me as I push his door open and step in…to a certain mess I wasn't expecting but can't say I'm surprised to see. "...Menacing."

"Hey, that's mean. Stop turning into that feminazi, you're supposed to turn into me."

"What?!"

"Anyways, back to the reason I brought you here-"

"No, you rat! Go back to that last point, what do you mean, 'turn into you'? I already told you I'm not going to be anything like you!" I stress, turning to him as I gingerly step around the mess of papers, crayons, and writing utensils all over his room floor.

As I'm stepping over a pile of some papers, my eyes catch sight of something and I pause to lean down and pick it up. I think I can hear Kokichi snickering quietly under a hand, probably because of the screwy expression on my face.

"The hell…? Blueprints for a laser gun...Kokichi, you're ridiculous. And these color choices are awful. This thing looks more like a water gun design for kids," I comment, looking under the paper at the notes on the back. The fact he's letting me nose around in his papers is kind of surprising, but I decidedly take advantage of the unspoken permission granted regardless. "Aren't you seventeen?"

"Yes. In case you didn't remember, teenagers are still kids. _I'm_ not gonna run from my 'childish' tendencies like it's the plague just because I want to impress a guy. T hat would be a lie! And I hate jokes and lies!" Kokichi calls me out, resulting in embarrassment and irritation on my part when I lift my head to look up at him.

"T-That's not what I'm doing! I'm not trying to impress Rantaro. Besides, I don't need childish stuff. Those kind of inane things aren't gonna help us get out of this place," I state very clearly, tossing the paper aside after having mentally gone over what could be better with its design and colors…not that I'll tell Kokichi, he would just keep making fun of me if I did.

"Prairie Dog, you're just _sooo_ bad at lying...my god, it's so sad. You don't have to lie to me, I understand! I know you're just desperately thirsty for Rantaro's attention, and that's okay. I won't tell, pinkie promise!" He chirps, skipping over his mess like second nature to hold his pinkie out to me.

"You don't understand me, Kokichi, don't kid yourself," I object, crossing my arms.

Said Rat Face sighs and then takes a seat beside me on the bed. Noticing how close he sits to me, I shift a bit away from him to get some space. He opens his mouth to speak, but as soon as I move, he pauses to slowly grin at me and then shifts to sit in the space between us. He even hooks his arm around mine to prevent me from moving back when I try to get up.

"Oh, trust me. I understand you. Like the back of my hand, Mousey-mouse," he says, making my heart skip a beat. How could he? No. I don't believe it, he's bluffing. "Prairie Dog, you're kinda delusional…you're in a fantasy all of your own making. You think you're the hero here and that the rest of us 'need' you, when we actually don't. While you've occasionally got good ideas, overall you're just a nuisance. One that endangers the rest of us, mind you. Aaand as for your crush on Rantaro? Just because you try pretending to act mature doesn't mean anything will come out of it considering he's adopted you as his de facto kid sister."

His words spark a fleeting flash of my temper, but I can't feel any change in my expression. For a second, other than aggravated disbelief, I can't even tell he's started speaking again because I'm too busy going over his first words again and again. Whatever he's saying goes straight over my head, my brain filtering it out as useless as the crap that normally comes out of his mouth.

I'm so tired of hearing lies from people. They aren't obligated to believe in me, I'm aware of that and I can live with that fact. What I can't handle is the crushing feeling I get when I find that the only people keeping me together in this hell have been lying to my face from the get-go. I've tried to explain it to them every which way to Sunday and they don't get it- or rather, they're specifically _choosing_ not to get it.

Every time that someone claiming they believe in me shows their true colors, it freaking stings. Something like Maki or Kokichi outright telling me they don't trust me and think I'm crazy is easy to stomach compared to the others building me up to be confident and then ripping it all down when I try to have that same confidence in myself, for _their_ sake no less.

I keep telling myself they're my comrades, but maybe I just have to face the truth head on.

They're not my friends. None of them are. Everyone's busy watching their own back and I'm scrambling around trying to "save" them like Kaede because of some shoddy, poor excuse for friendship. Not one person in this killing game has the capability to bring themselves to legitimately fight back against Monokuma's oppression.

I guess I can thank Kokichi for the wake up call.

"...which I think you noticed, but anyways-" Kokichi continues in his monologuing I've ignored, only to pause when I stand up and make a beeline for the exit, stepping on all the garbage covering his room floor without a care. "Hey, those took a while to draw! Where are you going? Don't you wanna know what information I have?"

"No," I only answer the last part, opening the door and stepping out to leave. Kokichi gets up and follows, stopping at his doorway.

"Not even if it's something that can help us get out?" Kokichi asks playfully, only to miss grabbing my arm when I slide down the rail of the second floor and land on the first level on all fours.

"No, Kokichi, you're right. I'm a nuisance. I have been delusional this whole time, haven't I? Especially considering I'm still the reason Kaede ended up dying even if it wasn't specifically my fault...I'm sure you're all worried I'll end up being the cause for a second murder somehow. Even indirectly," I speak up, turning to look up at him from where I am. At my words, Kokichi falls silent and stares back with a small peppy smile, one I can tell is a placeholder for whatever emotion he's really feeling right now.

I can already guess this reaction isn't the one he wanted. He probably wanted to dampen my mood a bit or work me up so he could bend and manipulate me to do whatever plan he had cooked up. See? I was right. Kokichi Oma doesn't understand me. And for once, I can see exactly what he's trying to do and combat it.

"Thanks for helping me see that. Now I have a plan of my own too…since you guys don't need me and all, I'll just stay out of your way. Permanently. No one will take it personally, considering no one cares about each other here, right? You guys don't need a quote-un quote 'hero', you've got it all under control each in your own unique way."

Kokichi stares at me, allowing me to study his features. He's not trying to make an argument against my claims this time, but I can't tell why. His mask is cemented to his face even more now, giving no leeway to any reason for his sudden silence.

"So...I'm leaving this place. I'm going to leave through that death road of despair tunnel even if I have to drag myself to that door out of here," I say to him, turning to head for the exit.

There's silence, only the sound of my footsteps echoing in the dormitory lobby.

"Nee-hee-hee! You're so dramatic, Prairie Dog...well, you do you. I'll see you later~! If you do want to know what I know, feel free to stop by whenever! I'll be in my room redesigning laser guns _aaall_ day!" I hear Kokichi call out after me cheerfully, just as I push open the door of the building and let it swing closed behind me without another glance back.

 _I_ _ **am**_ _leaving. I've had it with caring about these two-faced jerks. They don't want help, they aren't looking to work together with me to get out, and I can finally say with one hundred percent confidence that they're perfectly happy staying here and watching one another other become driven with madness until we are all dead. Maybe I'm no hero like Kokichi says, but at least I show some kind of semblance of self-preservation, disregarding my ego and pride. I'm tired of trying to understand them when above all else they refuse to understand me on a similar playing field. We're just going to keep running around in this same circle like this, and before I get stuck in that status quo, I'm getting out of here with or without them._

A little voice in the back of my head tells me I'm doing wrong. It refutes some of my delusions by flooding small inconsistencies to the forefront of my mind, along with the sick feeling I'm trying to suppress at the idea that I'm pretty much _abandoning_ everyone here. Abandoning Tenko, Gonta, Kirumi, Shuichi...Rantaro…

I push the upsetting feelings aside and continue on my way. I shouldn't feel this way. They've brushed me off time and time again, and only pull me back when they want to make sure their way is still the right way rather than "Crazy Prairie's" way.

 _What if I have no way out of here? What if I'm still indefinitely stuck with these clowns? ...who do I go trust in that case?_

…

Shuichi Saihara.

I nod to myself at that and wince a little. Even the way I think is so...arrogant like. I don't like that about me. Maybe that's what's also so off-putting for the others, having someone so small and unassuming being so hubristic and gloaty…well, assuming I can get out of here, neither they nor Shuichi will have to deal with a nuisance like me much longer.

For a moment, I silence my mind to get some much needed air to relieve my stress, entering the school building and pausing once I'm past the doorway. Looks like no one is around...good. No one to stop me and try to shove their opinions or control over me. I'm just so stressed out…I really need to get out of here.

Away from this place, these people, this killing game.

I don't want to ever feel like I did yesterday. I don't ever want Monokuma to rub in my face how pitiful I am for succumbing to despair. I don't need despair and I don't want it.

Once I have my brain calmed after the torment of self doubt and arguing with myself on whether this is a stupid and hopeless idea, I glance from the dining hall to the warehouse and back. I don't know what's waiting for me outside of the walls of the killing game. Miu was thrown out, but what if I end up outdoors where there is no easy access to food?

 _So I definitely need to eat before I leave, but should I pack a few meals up as well for the trip out? Or will a heavy backpack interfere with how I get through the tunnel using my intuition…?_

As I ponder that thought, I walk towards the dining hall and feel my muscles tense up when I see Kirumi wiping down the dining hall table. Frozen where I am, the first thing that pops in my head is the memory of Kaede telling me Kirumi also tried to keep the tunnel from my knowledge with Rantaro.

Upon noticing my entrance, Kirumi pauses and looks up. To my surprise, she smiles and straightens up to face me.

"Prairie. I had a feeling you would come back here eventually. I presume with how little you ate earlier, you must still be hungry, correct? I have a meal I prepared for you after you left in the fridge, would you like me to warm it up for you?" She asks warmly, somewhat throwing off my negative thoughts of her with how kind she behaves. The nastier part inside me wants to call her a fake, but when I find myself nodding, she turns and heads for the kitchen. "Very well. Take a seat wherever and I will be back with it in a few minutes."

Her stride to the kitchen is graceful and I can't help but sort of watch her as I make my way to one of the chairs in the empty dining hall, feeling somewhat disappointed about how un-airy and rather plucky my own walking is. Kirumi walks like a dancer and I walk like I have a glacier attached to my backside while standing on stilts...likely has to do with how tall she is and how short I am.

I wish I was taller.

Having an idea, I walk around the chair I've pulled out and stand up on my tiptoes to try and mimic Kirumi's stride, only to feel my boot- meant for climbing rather than walking on flat surfaces- slide unexpectedly so I land on the ground in the splits with a small yip of surprise.

 _Huh. I didn't know I could do the splits…!_

I fumble a little until I find the most comfortable way to get back on my feet, trying again at the graceful stride I'd seen Kirumi effortlessly achieve. How does she do it? Even when I try to walk like that, I feel so unbalanced unless I'm moving quickly. If I move too slow, I feel like I'll tumble over or take a crooked step too far to the side.

Is Kirumi secretly a dancer?

"Prairie?"

I stop dead in my tracks and drop from my tiptoed stance, noticing Kirumi at the kitchen exit holding a tray of food with a mildly surprised blink. How long has she been standing there?

Feeling my cheeks turning red hot, I gather my hair over my jaw and walk back around the table to the chair I originally pulled out, taking a seat and trying not to pass out from embarrassment.

"Um...I was just...passing time," I explain meekly, letting her make her way over to set the tray in front of me. She made some curry, rice, and a bowl of tomato soup, which immediately has my stomach growling as the scent hits my nose. Besides having a nice fairy-like walk, she even cooks amazing...Kirumi is not human.

"Do you mind if I continue my chores in here, or would you like me to come back after you've finished your meal?" Kirumi inquires, making me drop my hair and wave a hand with a weak smile.

"No, it's okay, keep working if you'd like. I'd appreciate the company," I answer, the unspoken words at the tip of my tongue: _before I leave._

Monokuma made sure to reiterate that only strangers will greet me outside of the killing game walls since the only people I know are the ones in here. I don't even know if the one person that left a thumbprint on my broken memory, Aika, will be out there- and regardless of whether she is or not, she will still essentially be a stranger to me.

As angry and upset as I am with everyone here, I guess it's impossible to pretend I don't actually care about them...but that won't change anything.

I'm still leaving.

"Very well. Enjoy your meal and let me know if you need anything else," Kirumi answers, returning to the kitchen momentarily before she reemerges with that washcloth to continue wiping down the other end of the table.

 _Kirumi is really hardworking...how does she not get tired of catering to everyone's needs here? Especially with how demanding some people are? Don't any of us ever get on her nerves? ...I wonder if_ _ **I've**_ _ever gotten on her nerves before?_

I start eating, ignoring my water even though the food is rather spicy. Midst eating, my eyes flick up towards her every now and then, examining how she seems to clean the dining hall with what I can see is a smile. This stuff that I call demanding...I guess she doesn't see it that way. She looks really happy tending to things, but I can't help but wonder if her skills are better put to use in other ways. Then again, she did mention quite a few outlandish things that she's been requested to do in her time as the Ultimate Maid, so maybe her title and skills really are being put forth the best they can be already?

...Maybe she'd have an idea how to help assort my confusing thoughts? She seems like she'd have a reliable answer to something like that.

"Kirumi?" I speak up just as I'm close to finishing my food, making her look up from mopping a portion of the floor near the other end of the long table. I feel so small from all the way over here, but she just smiles and points a gloved finger to her lower cheek. I blink a little, until I realize she means I have food on my mouth, making me fumble to clean it with my napkin and then continue. "Um...I have a question about something I think you'd have a reasonable answer to."

Kirumi blinks and then sets down her mop to approach me, standing beside my chair with a ready-to-serve smile.

"Alright. What question would you like me to answer?" She asks, prompting me to clear my throat a little so I can figure out the best way to word my query without causing alarm.

"Well, this is hypothetical entirely since...well, we both know that tunnel is impossible to get through," I say first to throw her off, causing Kirumi to nod solemnly at that. "If someone were able to get through all that and leave this place, but the price was leaving everyone else behind...would you hate that person for leaving?" I query, watching Kirumi consider my words. When she opens her mouth again though, I'm a bit nervous to hear a question back.

"Do you believe one of us is able to get through all that, Prairie?" Kirumi inquires, making me discreetly relax my muscles so they don't tense up noticeably under her perceptive gaze. With a small laugh and a glance down at my food for a moment before I meet her eyes again, I utilize Kokichi's lying tips and pray they manage to work at least under Kirumi's eyes. Sure, I can't lie to Kokichi to save my life, but maybe to the other's I can.

Not like they haven't lied to me before.

"No, I don't...I mean, look at me, I was all beat up because of it and I still haven't made it halfway through that thing, I'm sure. I kept falling for the same traps- it was kind of pathetic for the Ultimate Rock Climber. I thought I could monkey-bar half of the thing, but those bombs and grenades make it completely impossible," I answer her, before deciding to reel my words back by adding, "I...I guess what I'm asking is a stupid question, I'm sorry for bothering you with-"

"I wouldn't hate them," Kirumi answers before I can finish, prompting me to cock my head a little to the side. At that curious reaction, Kirumi seems compelled to elaborate. "Well, I would understand anyone's desire to leave...and if they had the chance, I couldn't fault them for seizing the opportunity- especially one that causes the least damage to those they leave behind. Essentially, those left behind will still have a chance to escape, and if they're lucky the escapee can possibly bring back external assistance."

 _The...least damage. Yeah, that's one way to put it. I guess Monokuma could get pissed off and raise the stakes in here, but...well, somehow I doubt that happening so long as the escapee leaves following the rules, in this case via that tunnel exit Monokuma continues to insist is our only way out. At least Kirumi seems to have the same thoughts as I've had regarding my departure from this hellscape._

"Thank you for the insight," I politely say, smiling as I turn back to my meal to resume eating. It's after a few bites that Kirumi clears her throat again though, making me look back at her curiously.

"May I ask where you spawned such a question, Prairie?" Kirumi asks, making me mentally squeal in my mind as I try to come up with the best excuse and settle on one that is at least somewhat true to an extent. Kokichi did say it's good to sprinkle some truth with the lies.

"Uh, Kokichi said I have a...hero complex...because I was thinking about escaping even though I know I don't actually have a legitimate way out. Thinking about leaving everyone here though makes me feel guilty, so I don't think I could actually do it even if I could. Even if the others _wouldn't_ hate me for it, now that I think about it," I answer her, making Kirumi nod in understanding and seem to relax.

"Hm...it's not wrong to want to feel like a hero to the people you care about, Prairie. Don't worry. I'm sure even Kokichi has a hero complex of his own...but of course, I'm sure he would never admit it. Do you?" She asks, making me break into a giggle of amusement at the thought.

Kokichi? With a hero complex? It would explain the laser guns, but I think he has more of a villain complex...if you can call a troll simply looking for a good time a villain.

Once I finish my meal, I thank Kirumi for the good food and sigh once I'm back in the hallway. Back here...now, I can probably grab that backpack I need from the warehouse and, since Kirumi is currently residing in the dining hall, try and win some snacks from the monomachine with some leftover coins I've gathered while in the library. It's not as ideal as maybe some canned goods, but it'll have to do since I'm out of options. After my questions to Kirumi, I'm sure running in and stocking up on food with my backpack likely won't look good on my part.

I jog on over to the warehouse, pushing open the door and freezing momentarily when I see someone look up from one of the shelves. This time, it's not someone I'm not much involved with like Kirumi.

Neither me nor Rantaro initially say or do anything, both of us having a moment to recuperate from the shock of suddenly being alone with each other here. Now the concerning part of this unexpected meeting...will he try to confront me after that whole debacle earlier in the dining hall with the "demotive" video Monokuma gave me about him?

"Don't worry, I'm not here," he sighs, looking away to continue reading out of some sort of...text book. I can't see what the title of the book is, but after a moment I decide I don't care and proceed with jogging on over to the shelf I see behind him.

"Good. Let's keep it that way, Snotvocado," I answer, hearing a grunt of annoyance from Rantaro as a result. Even I'll admit my little quip is a bit immature- but my mouth moved before my brain could filter the insult out. If Rantaro had been feeling an ounce of sympathy after Ryoma called Shuichi and I out on the fact Rantaro himself was used as a method of attacking me by Monokuma, it seems it's all but likely dissolved now.

…

 _Say something you coward. Insult me again. Apologize to me. Ask me what I'm doing here, just-_

"Are you really happy like this? Pushing everyone away like you're doing?" He asks instead, prompting me to pause when I begin to climb a shelf. He hasn't moved from his spot from what I can see, but he's not looking at me either.

Am I "happy"...? That's easy enough to answer, what a dumb question to ask...

"No. Do I _look_ happy? I don't enjoy pushing you guys away...but I'm even less happy being smothered and constantly lied to by you guys," I answer much to Rantaro's obvious surprise when he looks up at me. With a scoff, I add, "Even _Kokichi_ is more tolerable than the rest of you, and he is a nightmare."

 _"'Lied'_ to?" He asks, suddenly setting down the textbook to walk over to the shelf I'm a few feet up. I'm not seeing any kind of backpack yet...and looking back down, I'm mildly vexed to see Rantaro lean against the shelf below and give me a look from the bottom. With a scowl, I just turn away from him with an obvious eye roll and climb a shelf space up. "Prairie, I'll admit we've kept some things from you, but the only thing I've lied about was that tunnel, and that excuse I made to keep you with me after Kaede's death because I was worried about you."

"No, you lied another time. And don't pretend like you're not lying to the others about your talent, by the way. On that first note though, you don't remember you lies to me because your memories of the incident in question were _conveniently_ erased," I explain pointedly, pausing at the following shelf up and half pulling a bin towards me to sort through some bags. All the ones in it don't have any sort of strap to comfortably carry them through, not even as messenger bags, so I evidently push the box back in.

By the time I'm glancing back down to find the now oddly quiet idiot, I jump with a yelp of horror when I feel something brush my side and turn my head only to kind of elbow Rantaro in the face so he lets out startled curse and slaps a free hand over his nose and mouth with a sharp look my way.

How the _heck_ did this clumsy oaf climb up after me?

"Oh! I'm sorr-" I start until I see his annoyed expression start to relax at the apology on the tip of my tongue. At that, I bite down on my words and instead narrow my eyes with a wrinkle my nose. "Actually, I'm totally okay with that. But what the heck are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself, idiot!"

"Just because I'm not the Ultimate Rock Climber doesn't mean I can't do any climbing altogether," Rantaro points out, making my irritation die out as I look back at him in dry disbelief. He's joking, right?

"I never said it's 'cause you can't _climb_ like me. It's more like you can't even _walk_ half the time without running into my flying shoe or a permanent structure. You're the clumsier than a newborn giraffe with ice skates," I accuse, smiling a little when he blows out a breath and climbs up so he's at face level with me. With a grin, he clings to the shelf above me and shakes his head confidently.

"The shoe thing is not my fault. I wouldn't have run into it if a little someone hadn't recklessly thrown it over her shoulder without a care for who was behind her," Rantaro defends, lifting a hand to twirl it around and poke my cheek playfully in accusation.

"You should have seen it coming a mile away and you still went and ran into it. Just admit you're a klutzy buffoon and call it a day, Rantaro Amami," I press innocently, ignoring his finger against my cheek when he lifts it. "What, were you not expecting that archway you ran into when you were chasing me in the casino either? Or did I recklessly throw that whole structure at you too?"

Rantaro laughs at that, cheeks turning a slight pink hue. He looks painfully attractive like that...god, what a messed up travesty of a face he has. And who said he could have eyelashes like those?

He opens his mouth to speak again, but before he can say anything, I feel his fingers deftly brush a lock of of my hair behind my ear.

It's enough to snap me out of the fuzzy feelings and slap his hand away on impulse.

Rantaro immediately closes his mouth and whatever he was about to say dies along with the easy atmosphere that had been growing between us. Clearly he's noticed I'm not a happy camper anymore, and with a scowl to go with my heating up cheeks, I turn away from him and start climbing again to get up to the next shelf. I even skip two just so I can get some space from the green haired jerk.

"Leave me alone, Rantaro. Get a doll or go brush the hair of someone that actually _wants_ to feel like trash," I huff, the cool air biting my hot cheeks as I try to silence my beating heart and calm down the jittery feelings of my nerves.

"Prairie, why am I always the villain here? I'm not understanding how me trying to work things out between us makes _you_ somehow feel like trash. I miss having you around and this...this _wall_ you keep slapping between us every time I try to reach out isn't helping. I know you miss having me around too. Aren't we better as a team together?" Rantaro tries, making me balk as the good feelings in my chest flicker out and replace itself with pent up stress waiting to explode.

A _team?_ He has the gall to call what we had before "teamwork"?

"What 'team'? You've been doing everything by yourself and steering me to the side out of the way. You _love_ to be alone and I gave you that," I snap, looking down at him. He winces slightly at my harsh words, but I don't let up. "I don't miss you."

"...Yes you do. But fine, you're right. I've pushed you aside because I don't want you getting hurt. I have my reasons-"

"And _I_ have my reasons for putting up whatever freaking wall I please. So _deal with it,"_ I cut him off furiously. "If you can justify your elaborate and illogical actions, then so can I. I don't care what your intentions were. Everything you've been doing to 'protect' me has driven me insane. I don't know what to think about anything anymore because to you, everything I do is wrong- except unless _someone_ _else_ is doing it. I can't trust anyone else because they specifically don't trust me, and the only person I did trust actually lied to my face. Even now, you're _still_ lying," I accuse, watching Rantaro swallow a little as he starts climbing up higher to get to me.

Seeing him climbing, I scramble to climb up away from him. I'm not even looking for a backpack at this point, simply climbing to get back to my comfort zone where he isn't a weight hanging over me.

My face feels hot, but it's not from embarrassment or shame this time. I feel like I'm unraveling at the seams again, just like I did when I saw that video of him. It doesn't help that the struggle of resisting opening up to him is clearly no match for the fact I want to tell him why he's such a rotten piece of work.

"Prairie-"

"You stood there and let me open up to you, but instead of opening up back to me, you just helped yourself to my naive trust. H-How is that supposed to make me feel? I _get_ distrust in a place like this. It makes sense and I won't completely fault anyone for it...but just because I was stupid before doesn't mean I owe you ANYTHING more than what I already gave you! Besides, no one should be so irrationally overprotective of anybody in here- especially someone they don't trust," I cut him off since I'm just so wrung up. I can feel tears rolling down my cheeks, biting my lip to stop my lip from trembling. It doesn't alleviate the tremor in my voice with my next words. "I hate you. I hate everything about you and everything to do with you. Pretty smiles and silly banter won't fix things between us. You've hurt me more than you can imagine and this is the price you have to pay."

"Hate me as much as you want then, I can live with that...but in that case, tell me what you saw in the video. Tell me and I'll explain everything you want me to explain. I can fix this if you let me try, I'll do better to listen. Prairie, I don't want to be a thing Monokuma uses to hurt you," he pushes, pausing so I stop climbing the shelves as well. Clearly he's realized no amount of climbing will get him closer to me again, physically and metaphorically.

I look down at him, seeing him inch up a bit and hold out a hand to me. If I climb down slightly and lean over, I could reach out and take it. He's not that far from me actually, but we're really high up- close to the top of the shelves in fact. If I say no, I can't climb all that far away from him…

But I can climb down pretty fast and drop to my feet to get away. I know he won't be able to catch up to me like that.

I turn away and climb down the side of the shelf, making sure to go around Rantaro. At that, he fumbles and grabs onto the shelf with both hands to try and follow me down, but seems to misstep and grunts when he slips and has to find his footing.

"Prairie!" He calls out, having to slow down his decent by the time I'm jumping down on all fours to run to the exit of the warehouse- all without a backpack for food like I'd came in for in the first place. I stop at the exit though, turning my head one last time to glare at him.

"You hurt me all on your own, Rantaro. As much as I hate Monokuma, you can't blame him for this," I fling back at him, only jogging out once I've said all that's needed to be said. I can't stand being in that room with him any second longer.

"Prairie, _wait!"_ He tries one more time, but I'm back in the hall by that time, stumbling a bit when Kirumi emerges from the dining hall in obvious concern and confusion. With how Rantaro was calling out, I'm sure she's worried, but I don't need any consoling right now.

"Prairie, what's going on? Is everything alright?" She asks, making me pause to look back and wipe some of my tears.

"No, not really. I'll be fine, but c-can you go help that idiot get down from those shelves in the warehouse? He was following me up and he can't get down now," I dodge the main issue at hand, waving air into my face with my hands as I walk past her quickly to head for the school exit. I stop when two figures suddenly appear at the doorway, making my heart lurch a little. It's Shuichi and Kokichi, both of which pause when they see my state.

"Prairie?" Shuichi asks, while Kokichi instead "ooo"s in mock amazement and presses a finger to his chin innocently.

"Oh? Prairie Dog, you're still here among us…? Didn't you dramatically declare you were going to drag yourself to that tunnel do-"

 _"Damn straight, I am,"_ I snarl to their visible surprise, feeling my temper finally snap as I charge the two, barreling straight into them unexpectedly so they sort of stumble aside and fall back when I race around the building, not bothering to turn and check if anyone is following like they usually do when I lose my cool.

As I near the boiler room, I dive for the manhole and grab the edge of the opening, only then managing to see who's behind me since I have to face the ladder to get down.

Honestly, I expect to see Shuichi and Kokichi following. I even consider Rantaro and Kirumi among them as well, but other than the aforementioned first two boys and Kirumi, Rantaro is likely still hobbling down that tall shelf like the clumsy oaf he is.

I don't expect Maki Harukawa's appearance though, and it's enough to slightly rattle me when I realize she's giving me a very morbid death glare. What for? I don't know, she's always glaring at me. I wonder if she's only following because she thinks I'm up to no good like she always does? Well either way, I'm done with these people. I'm out of here.

Rushing down the ladder a little, I'm a bit spooked to see just how close Maki and the others are, jumping off after a second and stumbling a little in my landing before I'm headed full speed towards the tunnel.

 _I can make it, once I get past the gate…!_

I push open the gate and feel horror strike me when I remember how heavy it is, feeling my heart beat faster and faster the longer it takes to open the door and the longer I'm left open for someone to stop me.

Just as I open the gate enough for me to slip through, I dart through the gap only to yelp when I feel a hand grab the end of my locks. It's not enough to stop me, but it does hurt a lot considering the weight of my body going forward and her grip on the locks she catches. Never the less, I hurry down the steps and throw myself against the second gate, the one leading through the first traps.

 _I believe in myself, that's all I need to keep going._

"M-Maki wait, not by her hair!" I hear Shuichi object as I slip through the gate into the first obstacle ahead, snapping my eyes shut and allowing my intuition to take over. I relax almost immediately under the security of my ability, even though I'm unsure how much I'll be able to get through with that terrible backlash that accompanies overuse...what if I collapse in the middle of the tunnel?

 _No point in worrying, you're already in. There's no turning back now._

"Pfft! Prairie Dog, don't you think running full speed is a tad bit reckless?! Nee-hee-hee! You'll just end up back here with…"

I'm sure Kokichi trails off because I've managed to keep up my regular speed past the first traps without hesitation, running past the first trio of bombs that fall as I pass them and dive into a depression ahead, sprinting past the following that fall as I leap to grab a ledge and pull myself up. I hear more bombs go off behind me and simply continue forward, flipping over three sequential spaces I hardly remember before I hear the sound of the falling cage traps go off behind me.

So far so good…

"Holy hell, she's on _fire!_...Go, Prairie Dog! I DON'T ACTUALLY THINK YOU'LL REACH THE END AND STUFF, BUT YOU LOOK COOL, SO I'LL LET YOU HAVE SOME OF MY FAVORITE SODA WHEN I SEE YOU BACK HERE IN A COUPLE OF MIIIINUTES~!" I hear Kokichi call after me, clearly due to the fact he can't see me anymore.

I keep moving, breathing carefully and feeling some sense of comfort in the fact that I don't need to really think hard with my intuition handling everything.

 _Well, if this doesn't work and I can't leave, I'll have a lot to explain for when I get back._

I open my eyes once my intuition halts me, making me open my eyes and bite my lip when I find myself in that spot Kokichi and Rantaro found me earlier today, somewhat dizzy. Reaching up when my nostrils tickle, I grimace at the sight of blood on my fingertips as I pull my hand back.

"Alright, what do I do here…" I mutter to myself, walking to the edge and…

My gaze drops down to the pit in front of me. It's the same pit I fell in before...the one with that interesting vent my feet slammed into on the way down.

Should I leave before I've explored that vent?

What does it lead to?

What if it's something important?

I stare at it long enough that I don't even realize I'm leaning forward until I feel my imbalance and make an effort to try pinwheeling my arms to straighten myself up again. When I realize it's no use, I shut my eyes and scold myself for leaning over so much, preparing my intuition yet again so I don't end up falling too far where I'll miss the opening.

With a confidence in my intuition, I put out my hands and grunt when I catch hold of a ledge, feeling the strain of my arms as I stop and slam against the side of the pit. I open my eyes at that point, eyes flicking around as I hang there on that vent I'd discovered before.

It's pitch black...I can see the light above, but it's so dark where I am that anyone looking down where I'm hanging likely wouldn't be able to see me.

Swallowing thickly, I eventually pull myself up into the vent and let out a small breath of relief as I lay belly down inside. It's not too narrow, but it's good I didn't bring a backpack of food or it wouldn't have fit at all.

I wipe the blood from my nose and look over my options for a moment.

I can turn around and start from the beginning, but the chances the others will let me are slim to none...maybe Kokichi and Maki wouldn't care, if Maki doesn't strangle me first, but Shuichi and Kirumi might stop me. If I'm unlucky enough, Rantaro might already be there waiting for me to come back.

There's that...or I can crawl deeper into this vent and maybe risk getting stuck down there if it gets too narrow or hard to breathe. Which is riskier than the other option, but…

...

Despite my uncertainty, and I don't know if it's because I'm light headed or just stupid, I crawl deeper to appease my curiosity and cross my fingers that just maybe I'll find something useful down this precarious path.

Anything is better than being around that lot right now.

 _ **End of 3.9 - Detour**_


	39. 3:10 - Delusional

**_3.10 - Delusional_**

 _I regret this entirely and I take back all that stupid drama I caused...kinda. No, I guess I don't regret my outbursts actually. I still can't believe Maki tried to grab me by my hair though, what the heck was that?! That hurt!_

I pause in my exploration to catch my breath and lift a hand to touch some of the locks behind my head. Did she pull some of my hair out? Sure feels like it, I've been crawling forever and my scalp is still crying from the pain.

Speaking of crawling though...the longer I'm down here, the more I'm starting to believe this was a mistake. I was originally under the impression every vent reasonably leads somewhere else to get air from one part of a building to another, but I'm pretty sure almost no air is circulating down here. And even if there is some sort of exit ahead, it might end up being too far for me to reach on this little of oxygen.

Maybe I should turn back now. If I keep trudging on with air like this, I'll probably pass out. Not to be too morbid or take death lightly, but I don't want the others to somehow find my body stuck in a godforsaken vent. For one, it would be pretty embarrassing watching Kokichi laugh at me for my dramatic exit only to die from mere suffocation as a result of my own hubris.

Of course, that's on the condition an afterlife even exists for me to look down on the living, but whatever. Point made.

…

Instead of turning around and admitting defeat in my escape fantasy, I grit my teeth and calm my nerves in the darkness of the tunnel, progressing forward. It's a good thing I don't have anything like claustrophobia, or I'd have panicked and passed out earlier. That fact doesn't make me any less happy about crawling through vents…

 _Well, maybe you should have sucked it up and taken Rantaro's offer to try better rather than avoided him like this. He climbed up a shelf after you, that has to count for something, right?_

Ugh! It doesn't though! He probably would have nodded like a bobble head to whatever I was saying to gain my trust back! And after hearing me out, he'd just go on and take advantage of my naivety again. Stupid Rantaro.

 _You don't know that. You can't say he wouldn't have if you didn't give him a chance to try._

"Gah, I don't _care!"_ I snap out loud, gasping a little and slapping my hands over my mouth. My body goes stock still as I wait for repercussions. Maybe an Exisal bursting through the narrow space to grab me or a monokub appearing to tell me they're gonna do so in advance?

Silence follows the echo of my shouting. After a few minutes of waiting for some sort of jump scare punishment, I frown and uncover my mouth. Nothing's happening…

Following a moment of trying to rationalize this, I eventually sigh and laugh to myself a little.

Okay, so maybe the monokubs wouldn't jump scare me considering none of them have access to cameras (wherever they may be) like Monokuma, but I shouldn't have to hide the fact I'm in these vents regardless. Monokuma has eyes everywhere so there's no doubt he must know where I am even now. Never mind the fact his lack of action to stop me probably means that my exploration is likely to end in disappointment, but still.

"Not gonna stop me, Monokuma? Are you sure you should still be underestimating me like this?" I call out after a second of debate with myself. My voice echoes loudly in the vent, allowing me to listen as it travels both forward where I'm headed and back where I came from. Echolocation? Probably not as fine tuned as maybe a bat's, but oh well.

Nothing happens. No snarky voice appearing out of nowhere to prove me otherwise, no laughter from any jolly murder-happy bear.

"Monokuuumaaa…" I call out again, voice taking on a dry tone. "Even if you pretend like I'm somehow winning or out of your surveillance, I know you're still listening," I say out loud, crawling onwards with an eye roll. "In fact, this probably has been set up by you to bring me down even more, hasn't it? At this point, I have your patterns all figured out. Better start coming up with better ploys or I'm gonna start taking advantage of it!"

Once again, it's just me and my own voice down here.

"...Can you at least say _something_ so I'm not down here talking to myself like a loon?" I ask, glaring ahead in the darkness as I keep crawling on. It's embarrassing to be talking to myself, but admittedly it fills the agonizing silence.

 _If he's trying to trick me into believing I'm out of surveillance, I guess he's not about to open his mouth to prove me the opposite. Can I goad him out then?_

"Monokuma is the worst game show mascot because of his ugly beer belly and protruding belly button, which ruins his so-called likeability."

"Monokuma's asymmetrical appearance is like a rejected pizza parlor animatronic, and he ranks the lowest possible score on popularity polls because of his terrible design."

"Monokuma has an intellect equivalent to a goldfish."

"Monokuma can hardly host a Sunday brunch, let alone a proper killing game."

"Monokuma smells like earwax."

"When people get Monokuma plushies, they dunk the doll's head in the toilet and flush it because that's where he belongs.

"Monokuma is a stupid name and whoever designed him could have done a whole lot better."

"Junko Enoshima only uses Monokuma as a mascot so she can watch him be blown to smithereens over and over again."

I eventually pause my insulting tirade and stop moving to catch my breath- which is noticeably harder to take in now than it was before. It almost feels as if the air is getting worse the deeper I get in here.

 _I don't wanna start panicking or anything, but I don't think I can keep going...I feel lightheaded and I can barely breathe…_

 _…_

 _I've crawled long enough, time to swallow my pride and admit defeat by asking to get out. I'll deal with the backlash and embarrassment one way or another._

"Alright, Monokuma. I give up. You win this round...I'll go back to the killing game and be the free-for-all target. Please just get me out of here, I feel like I'm going to faint if I don't get any fresh air in my lungs," I surrender out loud, letting out a breath as my nerves relax at the prospect of returning to the safe comfort of familiar faces and air circulated luxury…

Well, _almost_ safe. If Monokuma hadn't made it so it's essentially a "kill your friends" ordeal. Either way, I just want to be up top with those stupid heathens.

...Maybe I'll even give Rantaro the benefit of the doubt and try to talk things out. I only yelled at him in the warehouse because of _course_ he still wasn't understanding things from my point of view. Well, I guess a little towards the end though, I feel like he was starting to see why his constant over-protectiveness only served to hurt me more.

I let out a sigh and roll over belly up, feeling the metal of the vent creak under my weight slightly. What's taking the stupid bear so long to finally drop the charade? Is he busy doing more important things? Or is he ignoring me?

 _If I have to crawl more to get out, fine, so be it. However, I still refuse to believe Monokuma isn't having a field day watching me. On the topic of Rantaro again though...I wonder what he meant by "having his reasons" for being overprotective. Was it more for a selfish agenda? Like when he said his concerns for me swayed on the level of self-serving favoritism?_

"Monokuma, I _said_ I'm ready to go back," I try saying again for the killing game mascot's aid. Really, what is that bear doing? Wouldn't seeing me dying in the killing game be more interesting than having me die a lousy death to suffocation in these vents? _"Monokuma!"_

…

"I know you can hear me, get me out of here, you-" I cut myself off before I can insult what is likely my only possible saving grace out of here. Probably doesn't help that I went and trash talked him so much _already..._ in fact, maybe that's why he hasn't fished me out of here yet.

That's lame of him.

 _In that case, I guess I'll keep moving until I hear something then._

Of course, I'm not with any true doubts, but I continue to push away the possibility of the alternative as to why Monokuma isn't pulling me out of here yet. Firstly, Monokuma loves to play around with us, especially _me,_ which is what makes the alternative so much harder to believe. Second, the idea of Monokuma not knowing the cage of the killing game front-to-back inside-and-outside, is really odd when we remember the ones that trapped us here _should_ know that stuff- and in extension _Monokuma_ should know as well. It wouldn't be any good of a killing game if the unwilling participants escaped simply because the organization overlooked a few vents and whatnot...like I'm currently doing. That is if I believed Monokuma couldn't see me, which I don't.

 _What if he can't though? What if I've actually escaped the killing game? What if I'm on my way to freedom?_

And that's the reason I don't want to think of the alternative. _Hope._

Kokichi made a valid point noticing the fact Monokuma seems to relish in building hope and then promptly crushing it at its peak.

Resuming my crawl to god knows where, my brain eventually gives up on the struggle of brainstorming when I feel a wave of nausea wash over me. I've been relatively dizzy since I first crawled down here, but that nausea has come and gone- each time getting stronger and harder to ignore. Paired with bad air circulation, it's a crock-pot recipe for a disaster oncoming.

Monokuma must definitely be enjoying this, I can't see him but I'll bet one hundred percent he's eating popcorn.

...Then again, he _is_ a robot, so I guess eating popcorn is impossible at least for him.

 _"Prairie, what's wrong?"_

Startled at Rantaro's voice in the dark and spooked at how close to my ear it sounds, I flinch and bang my head hard against the top of the vent. I yelp and flail around a little in the pitch black void until all I can hear is my rapidly beating heart. Knowing my eyes are no use down here no matter how much I blink and squint, I compensate for my lack of vision by turning my ear in the direction I've crawled from instead and steady my breath to listen carefully. Once I'm in position, I strain my hearing and force my thumping heart to relax a smidgen.

Silence.

At least, at _first_ I think I hear nothing, which is logical enough all things considered. Rantaro couldn't possibly follow me down this vent- even if he knew where it was and wanted to follow. From what I can tell, the vent is too narrow for someone his size. His broad shoulders would _never_ fit in as small of a space as this.

Taking into account the sizes of everybody in the killing game, there are only four other people small enough to go down these vents: Ryoma, Himiko, Angie, and Kokichi. Maki _maybe,_ but that's a very big maybe in regards to even her.

So to hear that disembodied voice...it's not settling at all. I don't hear another voice, but eventually as I sit there quietly and wait for another strange happening, I almost think I hear... _shuffling_ a good ways behind me. I can't tell if it's the result of paranoia from crawling about down here and my brain noticing spooks that aren't there out of pure anticipation, or if it's hallucinations from every unhealthy thing wrong I'm doing right now. Need I repeat how badly I feel from straining myself?

Whether what I hear is actually there or not, I turn forward again and continue crawling just a little faster, wiping another tickle of blood from my nostrils.

I want to say I'm okay and I knew what I was signing up for when I crawled in there to begin with, but admittedly, I didn't. There's no explaining why I don't hesitate toeing Monokuma's lines or climbing a wall where falling means certain death when I still somehow seem nervous of the dark. Either way, I pick up the pace and-

"GAH!" I yelp, leaning forward onto my hand only to find no more platform beneath me. It's too late to reel back at this point. With a grunt on my part, my face hits the metal wall ahead and I slide down quickly until I'm tumbling down and banging every part of my body awkwardly and painfully on the way down.

Every tangle of limbs in the small space may hurt, but it seems to slow my descent until I manage to maneuver my body into a safe and proper landing using my intuition, landing down on my back with one last outcry of pain after the pathetic orchestra of echoing screams I let out all the way down. The ground feels uneven and craggy...whatever it looks like, it'll probably leave an imprint of its texture on my back with how hard I landed on it.

 _Ah, yes. Let's re-bruise the old bruises and add some new ones to enhance the portrait of pain that is the tapestry of my body._

I lay there for quite a while recuperating, hoping and praying Monokuma will pop out and finally quit on this joke of not knowing where I am. Of course, as the minutes tick by, nothing changes. I just lay there flat on my back with my legs still propped up from the vent path I'd fallen down from.

"I hope you're enjoying this…" I grumble, a wave of dizziness rolling over me yet again. I'm breathing hard and nothing I'm inhaling seems to satisfy my demanding lungs enough.

 _"Oh, I am! I'm enjoying this immensely!"_

My head whips around and I struggle to sit up, a hiss of pain escaping between my clenched teeth before I'm feeling around for another path towards the sound of Monokuma's voice. Placing my hands on the side to my left results in no path and more wall. Turning to my right is the same thing, but the unease doesn't settle in until I feel around and realize I'm surrounded by walls completely.

 _"Now, don't panic just yet, Miss Marble! With as little air as there is down here, you don't want to pass out, do you? You might just not wake up if you pass out here!"_

"Get me out of here!" I shout, feeling around the walls and then standing up when my mind begins to form some scary and very real possible outcomes as a result of this predicament.

What if I get stuck in here? Will I die of starvation? Dehydration? Suffocation? I had my concerns earlier, yes, but they didn't feel real thinking of them then. Now here I am trying to climb this vent and my hands are slipping…

I can't find any grips on this wall and my hands are starting to become clammy and sweaty.

I'm not claustrophobic, but all of a sudden I can feel the walls getting smaller and smaller around me. The air is getting thinner and I can't tell if it's my mind playing tricks or if the air really _is_ becoming sparse by the second. Just noticing that has me on the brink of hyperventilating to find oxygen, but I slap my hand over my mouth and try to ignore Monokuma's laughter from wherever he is.

This is what he wanted, isn't it? To kill me down here. He never wanted my death to be spectacular at all, he just wanted to get rid of me…!

"Let me out! _Let me out of here! I want to go back, PLEASE!"_ I beg, only trying to climb the vent again when I have my breathing somewhat regulated again, if panicked and wrecked with wheezes of fear counts as "somewhat" regulated. Regardless of my efforts, there is no way out. My fingertips find the slightest of ridges between the metal panels of wall, but climbing it would be inconceivable.

 _I can't climb this._

 _"You whaaat? I'm sorry, but after all the pain and hassle you've given us, I think this is even better of an outcome than I could have ever imagined! You're out of my hair and now I don't need to be concerned about you ruining things for everyone else."_ I can practically hear and see that evil bear and his grinning face in the dark, laughing at me for putting myself down here. _"You won't get any help from me, that's for sure! Get yourself out of this. Just like you always have."_

"You can't just leave me down here, the others won't let you get away with this!" I shout. The echo of my voice sounds so weak and desperate when it comes back to my ears. If I didn't feel so trapped and antagonized right now maybe I'd care, but I can't bring myself to at the moment.

 _"They wouldn't? But they already have! Nobody here wants to see you ever again! If they did, you'd have already been fished out of there!"_

 _"Liar!_ Let me out!" I scream, slamming my fists on the vent walls. "If you don't get me out and I manage to get out of here myself, _you will regret this. You'll wish you killed me yourself. SO GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE."_

All I hear is that bear's laughter in response to my threats and fit of rage, leaving me scrambling in that small space. I let out a piercing scream of rage when Monokuma's voice and laugh dies out, clawing once more at the vent walls until my fingers ache and my nails peel. Throwing myself every which way to find an exit that doesn't exist, I eventually stop my animalistic screeching tantrum, panting desperately for air.

I feel like I'm going to be sick. I can't climb out of here, I can't breathe, I feel like I'm about to lose all that food Kirumi fed me.

I can't do anything here.

 _"Prairie."_

My heart stops and I feel a sliver of hope worm its way into my heart at the sound of the comforting deep velvet voice. Rantaro! I knew I heard him before! There was no mistaking it!

"Rantaro! Please help me! I can't get out and I'm trapped down here! I-I can't breathe, I want to go back to the killing game! I don't wanna be here anymore…!" I call out as tears spring from my tear ducts, rolling down my cheeks in thick globules that sting my eyes. I have to blink to try stopping the pain and rubbing my eyes only seems to make the sting worse. "I'm sorry I'm s-stubborn and-and so troublesome and selfish...I'll think more about the others, I promise! I'll do better…! I don't want to be here anymore, please don't let Monokuma leave me down here!"

Hopeful to hear some response to help me get out, I sniff up the build-up of mucus in my nostrils and try to stop my rapid hiccups and cracked inhales, hands pressed up against the vent walls. My fingers feel numb and my nail beds hurt, but I could care less about that pain. Rantaro will make the pain go away, right? He always does, he fixed my arm before and he's helped dress the other cuts I've gotten when disobeying him…

There's no answer for a long moment.

With a labored breath and a furrowed brow of worry, I strain to listen for him again but only grow frustrated with my uncontrollable sharp inhales midst my messy emotional state.

And then I hear him.

 _"It's out of my hands, Prairie. You know, it's better this way. When I gave you that demotive video to break your spirit, my intentions were to make it easier for the others to kill you, of course at the cost of revealing something particularly nasty about myself that you could potentially share...which you did."_

...What?

 _"Now this means I only need to get rid of Shuichi to clean up after this mess. It's been fun while its lasted, but it's time to end this fiasco. Goodbye, Prairie...you've been a great killing game contestant,"_ I hear coming from the voice of Rantaro before I'm left with frozen dead silence in that pitch black pit of a vent.

My dazed and dizzy mind has to replay his words several times in my head to make connections- feeble weak ones since I can barely think straight now. All I know is that there's only one reason as to why Rantaro would say that and why he'd even be able to talk to me down here at all in the first place.

I don't want to think about it.

So instead, I slide down the wall to the uncomfortable textured ground of the pit and pull my legs up against my chest. I don't know how long I sit there crying quietly, but eventually I pass out. From emotion or lack of air, who knows.

* * *

Has it been hours? I can't tell how much time has passed, mostly because I keep fainting. My stomach has been in pain and whenever I try to ignore it by falling asleep, it never works. The only way I get peace is when I faint, which isn't that great of a feeling in itself.

My stomach hurts to the point where I can tell something is wrong, and for some reason it doesn't feel like…just hunger. It feels like there's another problem. Like I ate something bad...but how could I? There's nothing down here to eat.

 _I wish I brought food...it wouldn't have fit, but I still wish I brought food…_

When an ache travels across my stomach, I growl back at my unsettled tummy. There's no reason I should have to deal with this. I don't deserve to feel sick. I don't deserve to feel hungry. I don't deserve to be stuck down here.

A nasty scowl forms over my features, which feel crusty from dried tears. Replaying Rantaro's words, I only feel anger build up slowly in my core, growing more and more the longer I think about how he treated me.

So I never mattered to begin with? We were never friends? All those words of kindness, his over protectiveness, his time spent chasing me around...that was all supposedly _nothing?_ It all felt real to me. Even after the dumb demotive video, he still had what I'd like to say was a tangible sense of honesty with his interactions regarding me.

 _He played me._

 _I shouldn't have to be stuck down here wallowing._

 _I should be up there where I can teach him a lesson for playing with a girl's feelings. I should beat the living crap out of him for lying to all of us. For...being the_ **_stupid_ ** _mastermind._

 **_I can't do any of that if I'm still down here._ **

Fired up and pissed off beyond belief, I get back on my feet and steady myself. Screw being dizzy. I have a stupid idiot jerk up there whose butt needs some massive kicking.

I feel around carefully again and then close my eyes, letting my intuition see if there's a way out.

 _…_

 _Underneath is a fan to circulate air that is no longer working. From my initial fall, it's much weaker and can be kicked through if necessary._

The best news I've heard in forever.

With that in mind, I can probably just jump and slam my feet down, but that's only if I want to go falling like I did earlier. Instead, I press my back into one end of the wall and then brace my feet up against the other, holding myself up before I start kicking down hard with my free left foot.

And I hear Rantaro again.

 _"Are you sure you want to try that? What part of 'we don't want you here' did you not understand?"_

 _This voice doesn't echo and comes from no point of origin. This voice isn't there. It's an auditory hallucination caused by stress and low amounts of oxygen._

I pause in my kicking to open my eyes and relax a bit at that revelation. It came unprompted simply after hearing Rantaro's voice again...but besides that oddity, his voice is just a hallucination?

So then...Rantaro is not the confirmed mastermind and no one is talking to me down here. Not even Monokuma.

 _"Prairie, if you come back up here, I'll make sure the next victim is Tenko. I'll make Gonta snap her neck. I'll make Maki put a bullet between Kokichi's eyes. I'll personally cut open Shuichi like a pig. Is that what you want?"_

It sounds so real...listening to it makes me feel awful. I don't like Rantaro's voice saying those kinds of bloodthirsty things, it's horrible.

If only I could fill the silence with something. I'd try making conversation to myself, but that went awful last time I tried. It seemed like my every statement was answered by my delusional brain trying to villainize Rantaro.

What should I do then?

 _"Why don't you keep talking to us?"_

The voice is Kaede's this time, and I shiver violently at its familiarity. I can feel it licking my ear, permeating the thick ringing in my eardrums from my dizziness even though it's not really there.

Maybe it's all my guilt flinging itself in my face.

Humming softly under my breath a song I only know a tune of simply to fill the silence, I brace myself in the vent again and start kicking at it. When I hear the sound of metal giving away under my foot followed by a scrape of metal against metal, I gasp in surprise.

The scraping continues until it hits a bottom, which I'm pleased to hear is not too far at all. In fact, I release my position on the wall and drop down to land on my feet with little to no trouble at all.

 _Yes, I'm out! I'm not so angry as I was before since I know I'm only hallucinating the voices now, so I guess I won't be beating Rantaro up when I see him again…_

 _...For now._

I smile to myself at the thought.

 _"Don't feel so relieved just yet. You still don't know if-"_

"Oh, put a cork in it," I mutter to the voice trying to make me crumble, rubbing my aching belly as I bend down and crawl through another path in the vent system to keep progressing onwards. "Stupid disembodied loony-bin voice..."

Although I get the trick behind my brain trying to self-sabotage me, I continue singing to myself and ignoring every attempt by the made up voices to get me to do something stupid or bring me down emotionally. To think I was put in such an emotional state all because of a little stuffy air and some trick of my ears...how stupid.

I'm only crawling for maybe a good hour or so when I run into an area where the air is noticeably clearer. It's still not the most satisfying, but definitely better than it is deeper in the vent _._

Just that alone is enough to make hope rise inside me.

 _Am I getting closer to an exit?_

I keep crawling and then squeak in surprise when my face bumps into a wall, one with gratings and...some light coming through them. It's very dim, but considering how much darkness I've been in thus far, it's still hard to look at since my retinas keep stinging in complaint.

Wiggling to readjust my position and only pausing at a minor stomach ache, I turn and kick my legs against the grating. The slamming sound echoes into the space around me, up until my legs kick it out and extend outward completely into the new room. There! Finally I'm out of this stupid vent!

I slip out of the small space, kicking aside the grating so I don't step on it coming out. Once I'm on both feet in the new room, I inhale a greedy breath of air and lean back against a wall to relax my nerves.

...Actually, the air quality is no better here than it was in the vent, I think. Maybe my brain is only trying to make me think it's better because I'm at least out of that cramped up nightmare? Possibly.

Either way, I stretch out my body before tackling whatever I've walked into and look around.

 _Okay, now where am I?_

Feeling more than a little wary knowing I'm still likely to hallucinate things, my eyes study what little of the space around me is simply lit. Being in the light for a while has allowed my vision to accustom to it, and despite that, the light only hits a fraction of the room from what I can see. It's a big room though, that much I can tell.

 _I wish I had a flashlight to see in here, but maybe if I walk along the wall there'll be a light switch or something._

With my hands feeling around, I place both palms on the wall that's behind me and start carefully following it up until I bump into a structure maybe three or four steps ahead in my path. My knees hit it first and I fall right over it with a squeak.

The horrible feeling in my stomach envelopes me with a piercing sharp pain as soon as my belly slams down on the large object. It feels awful…it's almost crippling at this point, enough that I'm now almost totally sure it's not me being hungry that's causing the pain.

All I ate was the food Kirumi prepared me…did I forget something I'm maybe allergic to? Even so, Kirumi seems to already know Perfect Blitz, so I assume she probably has knowledge if I have any food allergies, and what those may be if that's the case.

Once the pain in my stomach momentarily subsides following the strong wave, I realize slowly that the structure beneath me is a desk simply by running my hands along it studiously.

"Oh, whoops-" I huff when my arm hits something, wincing at the sound of a fragile ceramic or glass item shattering on the floor. Felt sort of like a potted plant. Well, nothing to do but keep walking till I find a light…

Several bumps, bruises and grumbles of anger later, I feel something akin to a metal box that's hanging on the wall. I can't see anything over here, but it feels sort of like a fuse box- which I eventually manage to open so I can drag my hands over the inside.

I feel a large switch among some other unidentifiable things, wrapping my fingers around it and pulling it up. Almost immediately, I'm throwing my hands over my face with a complaint at the sudden flood of light.

There's so much that even though my eyes are closed, I can still see the flash of the lights dimming promptly after the fuse box bursts beside me. I yelp and step back from it, rubbing my eyes clear of the last stinging sensation before I can finally see the room I'm in.

It looks like a completely normal office space. The room has several rows of dusty desks and work materials such as computers, keyboards, and a few fake potted plants here and there. Everything is organized in their rightful places, but some of the monitors and desks are covered by plastic. Similar to the kinds used when painting a room or to cover furniture in a dusty old house.

 _Okay, this begs the question: why are there computers down here and why does everything look so old? What is the purpose of having computers down here underground? Did Dangaonronpa's organization actually have some of their employees down here at some point?_

I buckle over a little and wrap my arms around my belly, coughing into a fist and sliding down to my knees for a moment. Everything aches. My stomach, my muscles, my bones...all of it. This doesn't feel similar to backlash from overusing my intuition at all.

There's no way I'm going to let this get in the way of investigating. I may not be the Ultimate Detective or an investigator at all by any stretch of the imagination, but I trust my instincts. Besides, if I can bring this information to Shuichi, maybe he can help make something out of it.

Once I feel somewhat better, I climb back up to my feet and start going around to check the computers, pulling plastic covers off of each one and attempting to power at least one on.

As I continue past the broken computers, I can't help but look at all the potted plants on the desks. Each one is different, and now with the lights on, I can see that one of them ahead of me is pretty damn wacky looking. I'm not sure if the person that used to work at that particular desk had some sort of unique sense of humor or what, but I guess it's amusing it's lasted so long without collecting dust.

The rest of the flowers are dusty looking and some are even broken, but not that one. I can't help but look at it every time I try to focus. It's just so _odd._

When I finally reach the weird flower, I pause in my attempts to turn on the computer on it's same desk and stare at it curiously. This particular freak of nature flower is in the best condition of all the fake desk flora from what I can see. It's stem is thick and completely straight like a stalk, going up to a large bowing bulbous flower head that's a bright turquoise blue with some navy speckles here and there.

 _It almost looks like something out of a video game…_

I start to reach out to touch it before halting when I notice something off about it and follow down it's stalk.

The thing looks to be "over growing" out of its pot. There's long fine strands of grass coming out of the pot where I can see something different tangled in its leaves. Leaning over to inspect it closer, I laugh a little when I realize it's a more normal looking fake rose tangled up in the leaves of the vibrant plant. Before I can reach out and push the leaves aside to look at the flower, the computer at that desk lights up and I can't help but gasp.

It works! SOMETHING works here!

"Yes!" I cheer in a low voice, ignoring the pain in my stomach in favor of ripping off a plastic sheet over the chair in front of the desk and taking a seat as the computer powers up.

The computer runs through an initial startup with the logo of the operating system: Portal GX7, apparently. It's not familiar to me whatsoever, and I eye every aspect of it curiously. I don't know any other sort of specific computer operating system as is, only the concept of them. Sadly, my amnesia doesn't make things easy for me.

It loads to a login, making me frown when I see a password is necessary to enter the work computer for one "Hiro Watanabe". Hovering the mouse over the question mark beside the login, a hint for the password pops up.

 _"Cat's name."_

...Something tells me this is going to be harder to answer than simply typing "Mittens".

For the sake of the laugh, I type it in and make a gesture at the computer like I'm using magic.

"Open Sesameee~ _"_ I say, right before hitting the enter button.

I can't help but burst into painful laughter when it _actually_ logs me me, only to clutch at my stomach and start heaving in thick gasps of air when the pain overrides my amusement. I still feel awful.

 _Maybe I can use my intuition to check what's wrong with me? I might be setting myself up for sudden backlash at any moment though, I used it several times already…_

Despite going the logical route and just dealing with the pain, I close my eyes deciding this place should be somewhat safe enough to pass out in if it really gets so bad. So, intuition friend. Why do I feel like dirt?

 _Sick._

…? That's it? Give me something more!

 _Very sick._

I open my eyes and stare dryly at the computer ahead of me. By "more" I was not referring to getting an extra word, but okay. Then I'm sick...clearly my intuition doesn't know _how_ I'm sick, but it at the very least confirms it's not just me starving to death here. I guess that's that, I don't have anyone like Kirumi here to figure out what's wrong with me and I'm no professional on this. All I can do is keep investigating.

I move the mouse over the "documents" application and double click, letting out a heavy huff. There's less in here than I would have thought...just three files, actually.

Well, I guess I'll go through them one by one.

I click the first PDF file and it opens a new application, showing a red loading circle before opening to a page with the title, _"Gofer Project Concept"._ Alright, let's see where this rabbit hole leads me then.

 _The Gofer Project:_

 _The destruction of the Earth is inevitable here, therefore the most that can be done is to preserve the human race outside of the planet. That's where the "Gofer Project" comes in. In regards to this plan, sixteen prestigious high school students each with the most useful talents are chosen to continue on as the Adams and Eves of the future._

 _Entertainers_ _:_ _Pianist, Magician, Artist, Tennis Player_

 _Protection_ _:_ _Adventurer, Assassin, Neo Aikido, Astronaut, Supreme Leader_

 _Cultivation_ _:_ _Entomologist, Adventurer(2), Inventor, Artist(2)_

 _History_ _:_ _Anthropologist, Artist(3), Detective, Robot_

 _Clothing_ _:_ _Cosplayer, Maid, Entomologist(2)_

 _Healthcare_ _:_ _Maid(2), Adventurer(3), Assassin(2)_

 _Guidance_ _:_ _Supreme Leader(2), Detective(2), Adventurer(4)_

 _Log_ _:_ _Robot(2)_

 _Refusal on the part of the sixteen students refusing to abandon their family and friends means people, aptly named The Ultimate Hunt, need to be sent to find and collect them- even though they've conveniently erased their memories of being Ultimates. To protect the retrieved Ultimates against those opposed to the Gofer Project, the students are announced to be dead, allowing them to be placed into the Ark and sent into space._

 _The Ark is the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles._

…

Did I just read someone's fictional story idea based on the others in the killing game? What the heck is this?

I scan the document again, but eventually lean back in my chair and stare at the glowing monitor in thought. My face is hot and my body is still complaining incessantly at whatever this sickness of mine is, enough that a thin sheen of sweat is starting to cover my forehead. As much as I'd like to curl up and wait till I'm better, I shake my mind out of my concerns to examine the...weirdness I've found.

So this document says we're essentially in a spaceship or something in outer space because the Earth is destroyed- I guess headed to find a new planet to…recolonize.

 _..._ Multiply.

...Make more humans.

My cheeks suddenly burn like fire when Rantaro's face pops in my mind automatically without any prompting, making me squeal loudly and reach up to pull my hair over my features. I duck in my arms for a moment so I'm not so horrified and embarrassed, resisting the urge to just pass out right there. The motion makes another wave of pain rush around my belly, but eventually I manage to get past that embarrassing note and continue on.

Okay, back to the document. If I'm to understand this correctly, we're the last humans left.

But something doesn't add up. What about all the other killing games? What about the organization, Danganronpa? They're the ones pulling the strings. I at least _remember_ being thrown in a van with their logo on it. We all remembered it at one point in the beginning! That couldn't have been long ago...and also, this document only talks about the other sixteen. There's no mention of a seventeenth Ultimate- not even as upstanding as Perfect Blitz, the Ultimate Rock Climber.

This goes to show that the document about the school and the cage being a spaceship is hokey, right?

…

I click out of that file and open the next, greeted with a PDF of a news article with the front page reading in the largest font, _"The Ultimate Demise"._

 _The Ultimate Demise:_

 _As of [REDACTED], it's confirmed the last Ultimate said to have been elected to be part of the Gofer Project is found dead due to unknown circumstances. Cause of death: ruled to be an accidental slip and head trauma, finished off by falling in a body of water with no aid around to assist. No foul play suspected. Victim's name: Kokichi Oma, also known as The Ultimate Supreme Leader to followers of the Gofer Project. All participants being deceased puts the Gofer Project at its end entirely._

Kokichi? Hm...well, he's not exactly the most pleasant person, but thankfully that rat faced jerk isn't dead. Would this be one of the "fake death" announcements mentioned in the other file regarding the Ultimates?

I move on to the next PDF file in the computer. It's another file similar to the first. Reading is getting a bit difficult, but I just focus on understanding it rather than racing to finish reading it.

 _The Ultimates List:_

 _Kaede Akamatsu - Pianist - The First Murderer._

 _Rantaro Amami - Survivalist/Adventurer- The First Victim._

What the hell is this supposed to be?

 _Kirumi Tojo - Maid - The Second Murderer._

 _Ryoma Hoshi - Tennis Player - The Second Victim._

No, really. What the actual _hell_ am I looking at?

 _Korekiyo Shinguji - Anthropologist - The Third Murderer._

 _Angie Yonaga - Artist - The Third Victim._

 _Tenko Chabashira - Aikido Master - The Fourth Victim._

 _Gonta Gokuhara - Entomologist - The Fourth Murderer._

 _Miu Iruma - Inventor - The Fifth Victim._

 _Kaito Momota - Astronaut - The Fifth Murderer._

 _Kokichi Oma - Supreme Leader - The Sixth Victim._

I'm staring quietly at the computer monitor, a knotted up ball of discomfort, pain, rage, and frustrated confusion. I don't understand any of this...they're fake, right? None of this can be real, it clashes with what I already know. And on top of that, _no one_ can just go and predict how any of us are going to act…unless this is a sort of manipulation guide that Danganronpa wanted to follow? And we're off course entirely?

Kaede's face after trying to strike me with the shot put ball and Rantaro's frozen face of disbelief after I told him what had happened with her pop in my head.

... _Because of me?_

Monokuma hadn't seemed bothered to lead Kaede astray into attacking me, so maybe this manipulative guide was discarded. Rantaro...is still alive. As for Miu, I don't even know about her current state since she's been dismissed from the killing game.

 _If we're in outer space like that stupid first document suggests, that would mean Monokuma's idea of us graduating from the killing game and "going home" is ejecting us into the vacuum of space then. Where else would Miu go if we're somehow not on Earth? Yeah, I don't buy us being in space at all. Yeah, we have an Ultimate Astronaut among us, but it's too far-fetched. Unless this underground area is a part of the Ark too somehow, there's no way were in a spaceship as big as this. Even the known size of the actual academy grounds itself brings me massive skepticism._

Okay, I guess I'm choosing to reject this crazy information for the time being unless proven otherwise...but even as a last minute addition, why am I not mentioned at all? Not one file has _anything_ about me.

I start browsing the computer some more, reaching up to wipe some sweat off of my forehead. I think I'm breaking into a fever...I'm both chilly and overheating all at the same time, it's awful.

Although I'm initially concentrated and completely enveloped in searching the computer I'm at, I eventually give up on it and get up to try turning the other ones on.

Some of the computers work, some of them don't. Although the ones that work turn on, most of them are wiped of files entirely, or whatever is loaded on them is useless…or grossly inappropriate. I eventually return to that desk with the freaky alien flower and lean against the desk, hunching over it after a moment to catch my breath. It's almost incredible how bad I feel and when I see drops of blood land on the desktop, I laugh under my breath humorlessly. I did this to myself, I guess.

I can feel my ears pop a little as I stand there, as if they're trying to decide whether to join in the blood letting. Everything is spinning now and it's hard to hear anything other than the sound of my breathing and my racing blood.

Sometime in my daze, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye, only to realize I bumped my head into that weird fake flower on the desk. Whether it's due to the fact I'm dizzy or hallucinating some more, the flower almost seems to move as I put my hand and

At first I cock my head in confusion when I see it open up like a banana, wondering just how realistic and concise my dream is with details.

It looks like there's something in the middle of it, so I squint and lean a bit closer to see it.

That's when the cloud of blue colored dust hits my face in a cold misty blast, making me launch back on my feet with a yelp as slap my hands over my face. Almost immediately I register my face is covered with the unidentifiable dust and go to slap and swipe it off quickly.

Just that scare alone is enough to spook me to mild alertness simply from the rush of adrenaline. When I look up, I can see the blue flower is opened, its insides a saturated yellow hue with visible pistons and what almost looks to be a yellow green launcher, which I guess explains the dust in my face.

 _The flower...is it like a pranking prop?_

I wait a moment and then laugh to myself in relief when nothing happens. It was just a stupid trick that was never triggered, likely made by office workers with way too much time on their hands.

I don't know when, but eventually all the strain on my body finally has me deciding to knock out over the desk. Specifically after sweeping the keyboard and mouse out of the way where I can rest my head in my arms.

 _When I wake up again...I'll do more research. Whether Monokuma sees me or not, it's apparent no one is planning on stopping me._

Maybe after some sleep, all those documents I've read will make better sense to me.

 **_End of 3.10 - Delusional_**


	40. 3:11 - Scared of the Dark

_**3.11 - Scared of the Dark**_

My eyes snap open and I wheeze what feels like thin strings of air into my lungs. I thought I'd feel better when I woke up, but I don't. If anything, I feel _worse_ now.

 _I'm on the floor...I don't even remember sliding out of the desk chair._

My throat and mouth are in pain. _Agonizing_ pain. I feel like I'm dying from the inside, but I don't understand how? My throat is constricted from swelling and every breath I take only serves to make me feel worse as the burning sensation I feel in my mouth heightens when the cool air hits it. It even travels up my throat from my gut, leaving a trail of fire in its wake and-

Suddenly, I roll over and lurch up to my knees weakly as the contents clawing up my esophagus forces its way out of my body. The burning in my throat is more severe now, some of it even coming out of my nostrils. I hate everything about it, but this will likely make me feel better, right? I'll feel okay again once whatever made me sick is out of my system?

As if fate is to mock me, I don't feel better. Even several gags later after everything is more or less purged, I still feel dreadful. Nothing, not pride or bravery can stop the tears flowing down my face as a miserable mantra makes itself known in my head.

 _I want to go home._

It's pathetic that what I associate to be "home" is the killing game. It's sad, depressing, and it speaks volumes of the sad fears I've been harboring and denying for a while.

Namely that I'm scared I'll never actually get any of my real memories back outside of my intuition taking advantage of forgotten skills. Shouldn't they have come back already? Shouldn't I remember my family? The blurry face of Aika that's a black square in my mind?

I somewhat remember things a few flashes regarding that girl, but it's nothing large enough to count as worthwhile recollection. It's like I'm being taunted by my own mind.

I'm thrust out of my thoughts as I curl up and weakly shift away from the mess I've made, wiping the excess of drool from my mouth. I feel like a dog with how much saliva is flowing from my mouth...not to mention that all the fluid in my jaw doesn't help with the fact I can barely breathe right now.

 _Maybe it was never the vent having "thin air" or "no circulation". It's probably whatever's caused me to feel so sick...in that case, it wasn't that pranking prop either, was it?_

I weakly turn my head to look for it, only to see the distorted desks around me grow taller- shooting past any reasonable desk height. My brain isn't doing any better than the rest of my body, so it would seem, but I can at least fluidly acknowledge I'm delirious.

How can a room as big as this appear like it's closing in on me?

I feel like someone has peeled my skull back and is prodding at my brains like dough.

I swallowed fire, but I don't know when. Now my insides are slowly burning up and becoming ash.

Why am I in so much pain? This isn't hunger, there's definitely something wrong with me…

 _Am I going to die here all alone?_

I can barely keep my eyes open at this point and I can't bare to look at the mess beside me. Focusing my vision on something far away past all the desks, I think I see something light moving around in the shadows. I can't tell if I'm really seeing anything or if I'm imagining it yet again, feeling the room move like I'm on a rocking boat.

 _I wish I never came down here._

Starting to feel myself drift off, I close my eyes and eventually succumb to the tempting urge to separate myself from the reality that is my awful state.

* * *

When I wake up again at some unidentifiable time, the first thing that I notice is my nose is itchy. Sniffing, I feel the tickle increase and eventually let out a sneeze. It takes a minute for me to realize I can breathe perfectly fine again, making me blink my dry eyes open.

It tastes like there's blood in my mouth…

 _What happened…? I feel all...gross._

I shift and push myself up a little, head hanging as I try to keep myself from falling over again from the discombobulated feeling in my skull. Nothing hurts anymore...but I feel incredibly exhausted now. My mouth is super dry and the taste of dry blood in my mouth doesn't really help me relax much considering that I'm just waking up.

 _...The pain is gone?_

Waking up just a little more and collecting myself, I blink my crusty feeling eyes and eventually make out the spot where my head had been laying down on. There's blood- a _lot_ of it. Did I have some sort of backlash while I was out, or do I just not remember it happening?

In the process of looking at the blood on my clothes and touching the knots of my hair from said dried blood, I eventually notice the other mess a foot away from the dry blood and immediately recoil with a disgruntled noise of disgust. Although I'm absolutely tired, I shuffle away from the mess I chucked out earlier.

After all this time...well, at least I'm _assuming_ some reasonable time has passed since I collapsed. Either way, nobody has come to collect me yet. To be honest, when I say "no one" I really mean Monokuma. He's probably not eating popcorn to my suffering, now that I'm thinking about it.

If anything, that maniacal bear probably doesn't even know I'm suffering to begin with.

Besides that though, whatever was initially causing me those earlier symptoms of my difficulty breathing as well as the sharp burning pains in my mouth, throat, and stomach are now gone. Instead, I feel almost a cooling mint sensation now playing on the areas that once burned, replacing what was previously agonizing pain. Can't say I know what happened, but I can definitely say my current exhausted and worn state is dozens of times better than what I was going through when my own throat was trying to strangle me to death. Even if my face _does_ feel disgustingly crunchy and dry.

 _Maybe me vomiting actually_ _ **did**_ _end up helping me? I suppose that's the whole point of throwing up in the first place. As awful and completely unappealing it is, it's the process of getting rid of the bad stuff the easy way._

God, if the experience wasn't pleasant though. What caused me to get so sick? I don't think that was an allergic reaction. It couldn't have been, right? I know those are probably awful in their own way, but…

I reach up to touch my lips again, feeling the crusted blood along my lower lip and mostly collected at the corners. There's a minty cooling sensation on my tongue when I trace the tip over my lip curiously. Disregarding the coppery flavor of blood, the cooling sensation is a lot like menthol if I had to describe it in some way.

An allergic reaction as drastic as what I went through would have been something anaphylactic. And if it _was_ anaphylaxis, I'm pretty sure I would be dead without medical attention, so that couldn't be the case.

Then was it all a violent case of rebound? Up until this point, I assumed the backlash for abusing my intuition only resulted in headaches and bleeding from my facial...orifices...I mean, I did leave clear evidence of backlash next to the barf mountain, so no doubt some of that happened.

 _No, that doesn't feel right. I don't think the first symptoms related to my burning insides and difficulty breathing had anything to do with rebound. I clearly had the symptoms of it later, yes, but if anything they happened while I was already passed out._

…

A memory I had from earlier re-enters my mind and I turn my head to look for the desk I'd been digging through. When I see the one monitor with a red light on the lower end of it, I crawl over to it and climb up on the chair shakily in search of it.

The flower.

...There's nothing there though.

Well, there's no "alien flower prop" to be specific. There's still a flower pot though, filled to the brim with the same overgrowth of untamed grass as well as the fake rose from before still entangled in it.

I blink at the pot owlishly a few times.

 _Did I imagine it? Did it actually exist, or was the flower a figment of my imagination too?_

Just to be sure, I push aside the leaves and even the entire pot itself to look for the blue flower. I even detangle the fake red one stuck in the grass and eventually get it free to give it a better look. As soon as I have it up though, eventually the fake red bulb of petals falls right off the stem and hits the table top with a soft poof. Looking around the desk, floor, and even my own clothes, I don't see remnants of the blue dust I remember being hurled at my face either.

Only thing I can chalk it all up to being is that it wasn't there in the first place. If the prop had actually been there, it would _still_ be there now. It didn't just grow legs and walk off or anything.

Technically, someone could have come in and taken it, but I find it hard to believe that anybody, even a bad person, would simply walk by without reacting to my collapsed body in some way shape or form.

 _Which means I was sick and got through it in the end. That's all._

I blow out a breath and flick the mouse to wake the computer up, going through the documents that are still up on the screen for a quick recap. When I finish brushing up on the information, I eye Rantaro's name on The Ultimates List document with a scowl.

How would Kaede have killed Rantaro? Would it have been for the same reason she'd tried to do me in? Suspecting he was the mastermind like she thought I was?

 _Well, I'm glad Rantaro is safe. I may have been upset with him, but I don't want him to get hurt...for reasons besides me biting him for being a jerk._

I fold my arms over the table and sigh, casting my gaze down a little and letting my expression relax as I wait for the exhaustion roll over me for a second. Why didn't I just take his stupid hand and accept his apology? I know he meant what he said when he followed me up the shelves like the idiot he is. I _know_ he was fully intending on doing things better to restore our friendship to how it was in the beginning- heck, maybe even better than the friendship we started out with.

Maybe a part of me was willing to listen a little more to him, if only to ease some of his stress regarding my safety as well, but _only_ a little.

…

I lift my head and rest it on a fist, taking hold of the mouse again and forcing myself to stay focused. I click out of the documents and start opening the other computer applications to see if I can find more information to dig up. Eventually, with nothing of specific value or interest catching my attention, I eventually open the email application and lift my head in interest when I see some inbox message threads.

 _What's this?_

Opening the first email, my heart nearly jumps out of my ribcage when I see what's been sent to someone else in the Danganronpa organization.

 _Head Director Saratoga,_

 _Please send me the storyboard form to correct the plot and subplots of the current 53rd season of Danganronpa. There are some changes I'd like to make following Shirogane Tsumugi's initial submission- which I know you are all as unhappy with as I am. Shirogane is taking the plot to an objectively "fanfiction-esque" direction, and no one has put their foot down to stop her, so I'm taking the first step in saying something. The fans of the series don't want the same old formula chewed up and spat out, they deserve so much more. I'm hoping we can come to an agreement to save this season from the same overused tropes of the past seasons._

 _-Best Regards,_

 _Watanabe Hiro_

 _Team Danganronpa_

 _Story Board Artist_

Shirogane…Tsumugi.

I read it several times. Even after going over it and analyzing every word used, my brain finds no other way to interpret the email.

Tsumugi? A submission for the plot of Danganronpa's _fifty-third_ season?

… _Rantaro isn't the mastermind! It's Tsumugi, isn't it? That lying-!_

My raging emotions settle somewhat when I reread the email, eyes scanning the email in an effort to organize my thoughts along with my knowledge of the other documents.

Tsumugi? A submission for the "plot" of Dangaonronpa's _fifty-third_ season?

 _...Rantaro isn't the mastermind of the killing game then! It's TSUMUGI! That lying cow-!_

My raging emotions settle as I straighten up and take a deep breath to compose myself. I need to think and go over everything carefully so I make sure I'm understanding things properly…

This is a Killing Game hosted by an organization known as Danganronpa, or Team Danganronpa. Tsumugi Shirogane is obviously part of that organization, with other workers mentioning her having made plans for the plot of this season's killing game, which _we_ are currently in.

And going by what I read before and what I know by the statement of it being the "fifty-third season", then...they're talking about seasons like in a television series? Is the killing game a reality show?

...All of my intimate moments with the people here in the killing game have been shown to the public for the entertainment of hundreds of strangers? All those times I argued with Rantaro, when I've been teased by Kokichi, when I've had heart-to-hearts with Kaede and Tenko- or moments speaking to Shuichi…

…!

I slap my hands over my face just as heat begins to crawl up my neck. It's one thing believing we're being watched by just Monokuma and some sicko corporation as a snuff film, but being broadcasted live to the whole world?! While we shower, use the bathroom, and more…?!

... _as a_ _ **snuff**_ _film…_

My hands slide off of my face, embarrassment fading into horror and shame as I remember the "murder" aspect of everything. Forget people just being able to see us undress an such. Forget embarrassing ourselves over and over on live television.

"Fans", the people outside watching this that _like_ this sort of sinister thing like Tsumugi, they _want_ us in here. They _want_ us to kill one another. They _want_ us to die. They _want_ us to suffer.

This world is sick.

But...something doesn't add up. Why leave all these computers abandoned in that case? Did they move their stations elsewhere after the killing game started?

 _What if this is planted evidence? What if it was left behind for me to find intentionally? ...No, don't make assumptions yet. Make them after you've fully investigated every corner of this computer. There's no point speculating without unverifiable evidence of a sufficient quantity. Even if it does seem hopeless._

 _"You shouldn't say that. Look on the bright side and keep trying, don't give up yet."_

I jerk in my seat and swing every witch way with wide eyes and warm cheeks when I hear Rantaro's voice. That was...definitely in my head. Great, now I'm hallucinating him being sweet and supportive of me. God, how pathetic am I…?

With a pout, I pause to rest my arms on the table and sigh. Admittedly, I do miss him. I guess the sentiment of "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true.

…

 _No!_

"Get a grip!" I snap at myself irritably with a growl, slapping my cheeks a little to wake myself up. "There's no time to be lovesick, it's just his stupid disastrous face that's making you feel like this. He's pathetic! Swap his face with the face of a generic guy!"

I close my eyes and concentrate, before opening them and making a face.

Maybe I should do it with my eyes open, I don't want to knock myself out from idiocy in the form of activating my intuition on accident.

That being said, no matter how hard I try, I can't replace Rantaro's stupid face in my head with a generic guy. Why?

Because I can't come up with a generic looking face for a guy. All that keeps popping up are all these disgusting handsome as crap faces!

"This is stupid! Get out of my head, I hate you!" I complain, even though Rantaro can't hear me down here and this isn't exactly his fault. Still, I need to complain about _something,_ the silence is starting to get to me.

To distract myself, I open the reply email in the thread, going down all the emails and scowling when what shows up following Hiro's main email are emails with a big "corrupted" slapped over them.

Only the subjects are legible, but it's essentially just _"RE: Fixing v3's Plot- URGENT"_ for every corrupted email in the chain.

 _Well fine, I'll look at the other applications for more information, but before I do that…_

I click the "compose" option and select the receiver as everyone in Hiro's address book, setting the subject to a simple, _"All of you are disgusting and repulsive amoebas"_.

 _To everyone that is a part of, has been a part of, and/or will be a part of the Danganronpa Team- all of you can go to hell. If any of you are done being the asswipes of the century, please send help. You'll be less of an asswipe._

 _-Hatefullly Not Yours,_

 _Prairie Marble_

 _Ultimate Rock Climber_

 _Ultimate Revenge Seeker_

 _P.S. In short, watch your back if you don't try and help my friends and I._

I practically stab the send button before re-reading my email, only to click my tongue and glare at my departing text. I wrote "hatefully" with _three "L"s!_ I feel like the punch my email had is now significantly decreased with that typo…!

 _Well, nothing I can do about it now. Let's keep digging around this junk…actually, will it even send? Does the internet work? Is there a working printer? A fax machine? A phone?_

First, I look into the internet functionality, only to find that it sadly doesn't work. All I get are offline messages, and when I check the email I tried to send again, I realize my angry message has gone nowhere but the pending outbox. There is a fax machine, which seems to double as the room's phone and printer, but all that seems to work is the print function. Of course, I take advantage of that by using it to print the pages of the documents and Hiro's email to this Danganronpa director he was in contact with, as well what looks to be a drawing on the computer's basic drawing program that has a very juvenile looking drawing of Monokuma.

I guess Hiro really likes Monokuma? He drew him with a crown and a star over his chest, something that looks like a prize. Beside him are crudely drawn flowers and whatnot...I don't know if it's important, but hey, might as well save it.

Besides, Monokuma looks awful, and that's enough to sell me on keeping the drawing.

Now what?

I find a supply closet near the exit at the back and manage to dig out some bags, one of which I grab to shove the papers in before I decide to keep digging into the closet. It's full of old stuff, mostly useless office supplies and…

While pushing past some loose hangers and boxes with twitching muscles I can't seem to relax, I find some old clothing scattered along the hangers, ground, and the boxes. Examining them curiously one by one, I only succeed in making myself sneeze when I shake the dust off of several things, tossing aside what looks like it won't fit me. If it comes down to it, I'll wear something slightly larger, but I'll save that as a last resort if I don't find something my size.

I'm lucky though, and I eventually pull out something promising.

It's a very old set of high waisted shorts dark red in color with black suspenders. From the musky smell, I can't help but wonder if it's color was originally more vibrant before being abandoned in here. It begs the question- how long has it been forgotten down here?

 _Now the question is what smelly crap would I rather wear. My vomit and blood, or a little dust?_

 _Actually, putting it that way makes the choice rather obvious. I'll need to find a bathroom first. Also, isn't there a shirt in here to go with this thing, or not? I don't want to walk around showing all that skin, even if I_ am _alone down here._

I dig a little more before I find a cream colored shirt that'll...probably fit me? It's not very stretchy and looks like a kid's shirt. There's a little embroidered red heart over the left side of the chest area, and a red hem around the collar and sleeves. It looks like it fits my frame, but…

I may have a modest chest, but even this shirt might not fit considering the stubborn material. Now, if I was as stacked as Tsumugi the cow or some of the other girls, this shirt would be out of the question completely.

That being said...despite the circumstances, I can't help but feel a little proud of my body. The fact a kids' shirt like this wouldn't fit my frame because I have a mature body is great! I mean, if it fit perfectly, I'd probably feel a lot worse about how the others treat me like a child, but then again Rantaro still treated me like a kid when Tsumugi had me wear that 2b cospla-

Wait.

Wait.

If this is a reality TV show Tsumugi is a part of...and she has been wanting to doll me up in cosplay since we first made up after my aggression towards her...!

 _...Did that incompetent two-faced cow reduce me to_ _ **fanservice**_ _?_

With a growl and a dark look over my face, I shove the cream shirt, the high waisted shorts, and a few spare shirts just in case in the bag I already have, kicking the door closed furiously. It hits a box I moved earlier and only serves to bounce off of it and hit my backside with it's handle when I turn to leave, making me even more irritated.

 _I can't even take out my temper on the stupid door without some backsass! UGH!_

I blow out a breath and start walking past computers to get to the exit. I need to find a place to clean myself up...again. Being covered in things no rational person wants covering them is starting to become awfully routine. How pathetic.

Now that I'm walking again I feel myself sway slightly, signs that I'm still not quite fully recovered from the bad experience before. No doubt I feel much better now at least regarding pain, nothing hurts whatsoever, but something's still not right. My heart feels like it's beating a mile a minute from just crossing the room and every now and then I feel this gradual sensation of what I can only describe as unprompted impending doom. Although I feel like I can maneuver my own body just fine, my muscles won't stop twitching and it's making my body jerk here and there. Even tensing my muscles up doesn't alleviate the twitching.

 _Am I really okay? Or am I the furthest from the term "okay" that I can possibly be?_

Taking only one step into the hallway, my heart suddenly picks up speed at the sight of the pitch black corridors in either direction. I crawled into a pitch black vent earlier, why am I suddenly so anxious? Why am I shaking? Why does the idea of going further scare me so much?

Am I afraid of finding something? Or am I scared of finding nothing at all?

Biting my lip and backing up into the office room again, I close my eyes and try to think rationally as I wrap and unwrap the long straps of my bag around my hands in an effort to half distract and half comfort myself. Korekiyo said Perfect Blitz had the ability to "shut down" her fear, right? I know I did it before when I was climbing the killing game cage wall, so how hard could it be to attempt summoning the ability again?

So I work myself up.

 _You know what your goal is. What you're looking for down here is an exit. A way out, or something that will help to attain that primary goal. If you don't leave this room you aren't going to find it._

With that, I swallow down my nerves and make my way down the dark hallway a few steps, only to jump and withdraw my arms and hands to my chest and collar protectively like a startled rabbit when the lights in the hall turn on suddenly.

At first I'm completely frozen with terror, up until the light eventually goes out again, making me whine timidly and turn to run back into the office- a movement which makes the light evidently turn on again and prompts me to stop.

Oh. They're motion detecting lights.

Suddenly relieved, I laugh at my foolishness, eventually letting it die out on my tongue before it can become uncontrollable and frantic.

I'm not okay.

I wanna go home.

After taking a few more steps down the hall and taking a left when I reach a fork in the corridor, I'm comforted by the lights that flicker to life and escort me onwards. I eventually reach the first room some yards down. Trying the doorknob however, it refuses to open despite my insistence trying to weakly pull it open.

Maybe if I had bobby pins, I'd be willing to abuse my intuition a little more and attempt breaking in Kokichi-style with his dumb lock picking...but then again, that probably wouldn't work. To properly emulate his lock picking, I'd have to see what he's doing inside a doorknob's lock mechanism at least once and understand what's being done. Considering a lock mechanism is located _inside_ a doorknob...well, there'd be no way for me to learn unless I explicitly asked him.

And why the heck would he tell anyone in the killing game that? I could potentially use it to murder someone. I would never, but _Kokichi_ doesn't know that for sure. Besides, he knows how violent I am, he'd probably laugh in my face and say " _noooo way, Prairie Bearie!"_ or something along those lines.

 _Great, now I'm thinking up Kokichi-esque nicknames for me. Why do I torture myself like this?_

Glancing around the hall, I notice a second door across from this one and walk over to try and open it. Of course, this one is locked as well.

 _Who knew this would be the day I'd actually_ _ **want**_ _to see that insufferable rat._

A few locked doors and attempts at forcing them open to no avail later, I reach the end of the hall, where the corridor splits off again. It's pretty weird that there's no signs in a place as large as this. Hospitals and business buildings have directories, so where's a directory for this place?

I play eenie-meenie-minie-moe and give up half-way with a dismissive wave towards the left hallway's split. Everyone knows if you do that eenie-meenie game with two options, the one you land on if you follow the beat properly will always be the option you didn't start the beat with.

As I walk, the lights continue to turn on to light my way and I notice I've started to relax traversing through the dark halls. I'm twitching less, albeit still somewhat unsteady and with the chills, but it's a start. If thinking of the others helps calm me down again, maybe I ought to think more about them.

Excluding the fact the first person I want to see is undoubtedly Rantaro, I actually really want to wrestle with Tenko again. It's good stress relief and my body felt mega refreshed that last time we tried to beat the crap out of each other on friendly terms. I was sore, but it was a good sore. I'm sure if we focused on my training in Neo-Aikido, I can work off some of the aggression I seem to always build up while around the others.

Second, I miss Monokid. It's always nice to see him around or have him check in on me, he's a lot sweeter now and it's comforting to have someone that has somewhat of an equal understanding of our situation beside me. I don't have to hide much from Monokid...and I would never say it, but even with the weird chest hair, he's still teddy-bear-like. Teddy-bears are nice.

I'd give anything for one of Kirumi's meals right about now. All my vomiting annihilated the palette of my tastebuds, and I'm starting to feel hungry right about now. Besides, after our last conversation, I want to ask her more things and get her opinion on things, especially about Rantaro...and I want to know why she didn't want me to know about the Despair Death Tunnel. I know why Rantaro didn't want me to know, but Kirumi? What if it wasn't the same reason as Rantaro- or what if there was more to hear reasoning?

Korekiyo...we don't have much of a bond still. Our last conversation was interesting though, and even though I know he's not on my side specifically, it's that aspect that is compelling enough for me to want to speak more with him. Maybe if I work on our relationship, we can become friends and I can explain to him more about how I see certain things. He did have an interest in my point of view.

My stomach makes a growl of objection that has me rolling my eyes midst my time reminiscing about the others. I honestly wonder how I've managed to survive so far with how bad my eating habits are. Sometimes I forget to eat entirely- it's really not a good thing.

Anyways…

I have so much I want to tell Shuichi that I'm not able to because of the Ugly Rules Monokuma imposed on me from the start, but maybe by hanging around him enough I'll gain a better eye for things like the Ultimate Detective does. Also, he may be a pervert, but at least he was nice to me even after my outburst when we watched that video in the pink monopad. He even defended me too, that has to say something about his character.

And Angie…I want to give her a chance. And properly apologize for that matter, what I said in the dining hall was in no way sufficient enough after I threw a can at her face. Using my intuition, I know she's only been rude because she wants my attention and is somewhat at war with her religious upbringing regarding my past status. We can work that out, I think. I just need her to see me more as Prairie and less as Perfect Blitz.

The others I still really don't know well enough, although I can fix that with time- especially if I manage to get out of here…though regarding Maki, heck, I'm not sure I _want_ to know her based on everything I've learned about her.

 _They'll all leave you once you escape the killing game. No one will stay with you._

It hits me like a hammer to my heart and I quickly stiffel the thought deep in my mind so I don't have to think about it.

Even if it is true.

I reach another door along the hall and pull at the knob until the click of the lock in place makes me drop my arm and raise my head to glare at the ceiling. My mood is totally ruined. Is this amounting to be a complete waste of my time? It's starting to feel like it.

All the hallways look the same. Every door I try seems to be locked, and I soon find myself back at the split hallway in the corridor. I'm in the same position as I was when I first came across it, so the left hall clearly circles around...guess I'm going to be taking the right corridor this time.

Going down the hall, I become lost in my thoughts again.

 _I wonder what the others are doing right now...I wonder if there's anyone still waiting for me outside the Despair Death Tunnel? I imagine only Rantaro or Maki would be crazy enough to do that- for completely different reasons. Considering Maki has other priorities though, like making sure no one enters her Ultimate Murderous Fiend lab, I presume Rantaro might be the only one waiting there._

I reach a stairwell going up to another floor and momentarily pause. This is progress worthy! I'm sure going "up" is definitely important to escape, considering how far down I travelled in the vents.

Speeding up with a spring in my step despite my minor instability regarding my balance, I open the door and climb the stairs with a determined huff despite how quickly my stamina wears out.

 _What I'd give to be able to run around like Kokichi does. More stamina would be great right now- the building is huge and I may have much more ground to cover._

…

 _I should have taken Rantaro's offer back in the warehouse. I know I should have. Why do I always have to make things so difficult? Honestly, it's nobody's fault but my own at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last time extends his hand out to me. Granted if I manage to actually see him again._

 _He's probably not waiting for me outside the Despair Death Tunnel, now that I think about it._

 _Maybe he's happy I'm gone. Maybe he's relieved he doesn't have to worry about a snotty brat like me._

…

 _I still want to see him again._

I stop once I reach a turn in the platform leading to more stairs up and a door. I'm out of breath, huffing and puffing to recover oxygen in my lungs and keep my blood pumping around. Well, I'm investigating, so it's only reasonable I check this floor out before I continue heading up, right?

Walking towards the door, I reach out and grab the doorknob, only to see a sudden movement through the window leading down the hall just as my eyes flick down to put my hand on the knob. Spooked, I jerk back and retract my hands to my chest, eyes wide and heart kicking up in speed once again.

What did I just see? Movement? It looked like a person, but as far as I know there's nobody down here but me...should I call them out?

…

"...Hello?" I wince at how timid sounding my voice comes out, barely above a whisper as I lean towards the door. Not too close though, what if someone swings it open from the other side and hits me in the face?

 _Come on, speak louder you coward. Just cause Kokichi calls you a mouse doesn't mean you actually_ _ **are**_ _one!_

"Who's there?" I demand, my voice a couple levels louder and much more firm despite how dry my throat feels. "If someone's there, come out of hiding and show yourself!"

…

…

Nothing happens. Irritated, I scowl and grab the door handle, the sound of my heartbeat and my blood racing practically filling my ears with its beat. Without another moment of hesitation, I throw open the door and jump into the hall.

I'm not sure what I'm expecting, but I take a stance Tenko taught me and I prepare myself for a fight, my movement making the lights above the door flicker on to illuminate my surroundings.

There's no one there.

My eyes flick all around, to the ground, the corners, and the ceiling.

 _You're imagining things. If someone was there, the first movement you spotted through the window would have made the lights turn on from the motion, just like it did for you._

I sigh under my breath in relief, lowering my fists and relaxing my stance. It could be paranoia or I could still be prone to hallucinations...great. Neither of those will help me down here. I can't always stop just because I get spooked of something, that will only slow me down. Every moment I waste being afraid of my own shadow is a moment Monokuma tries to get my comrades to kill one another.

Now, it's not that I don't trust them or anything. Rantaro, as stubborn as he is and enigmatic in the eyes of the others...he's nice, all things considered. Tenko, Shuichi, and the others...they are all nice too. They have good heads on their shoulders.

Just like Kaede did.

The bottom line is that Monokuma is just too good at psychological manipulation. I mean, he even got _me_ nearly wrapped around his little finger for a moment there. I just don't want anyone else to die...I really don't.

That's when I hear it. The sound of loud static all around me from the dusty hallway speakers and the cobwebs surrounding them. It sounds like a bell intermingled with static and distorted in sound. I can't help but let out a startled squeal of panic and raise my fists yet again. It sort of sounds like the bell from the academy, but it sounds _super_ messed up! Are the speakers down here _that_ old?

Eventually, _his_ cheerful voice makes itself known.

 _"Gooood morning, everyone! This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles! It is now eight a.m. and it's time to wake up! Today marks the second day since our little Miss Marble's Rebellion- and I'm sure I don't need to remind you about the secret surprise that I have in store if she doesn't return by tomorrow night!_

The _second_ day? Have I really been down here for that long without even realizing it? God...no wonder I feel so horrendously hungry and thirsty.

What could be that surprise he's referring to though?

 _Nevermind that. How is this reaching me all the way down here underground? Does the signal actually extend that far from the Ultimate Academy?_

I follow the hall and start trying doors as soon as I see them under the lights, hoping that at least one of them decides to open for me.

 _"This is the last stretch! If Prairie Marble does not reappear by ten p.m. tomorrow night, I will reveal the surprise! I hope everyone is at the edge of their seats knowing this!"_

The speakers shut off, leaving me in the dead silence I've begun to get used to since I first crawled into that vent. Am I really hearing that though? Or was it another hallucination like the ones I heard before? It _sounded_ like it was coming from the speakers in the hall. How sure am I of that though?

He said he had a surprise in store for everyone if I didn't show up by tomorrow at ten p.m.. I hope it's nothing lethal.

I'm momentarily tempted to use my intuition, but I quickly quell the urge. If I use it now, get info, pass out, and then wake up later than ten only for the announcement to be true, something bad could potentially happen to the others. With as weak and worn as I am right now, I don't think my body could handle a second backlash in a row. Not after all this and without anything in my belly.

Plus, I don't want to know what will happen to me if I abuse it _past_ the first backlash that has me bleeding and passing out. As things have been, I've already abused it plenty even though I told myself I would only use it when _absolutely_ necessary. So much for sticking to that plan…

If it wasn't for this weird ability of mine, I would have been dead a long time ago. That ability _shouldn't_ be my only trump card, if I don't learn how to use what's normal for me rather than this freaky "hack" of mine, I won't have anything to protect myself with when the day Monokuma decides he's finally had enough of me arrives. At this point, I'm sure he's already thought of a way to take advantage of my intuition so he can take me down without too much pushback.

I snap out of my musings when I start walking towards a new pair of doors and pause when I notice there are blue signs on both of them. When I focus properly, I gasp in relief. Bathrooms! I can clean up!

There's a shuffling sound behind me.

Suddenly, I'm frozen in place, feeling my back stiffen up in horror when I realize the sound came from _right behind me._

I can feel sweat beginning to form over me, heart reaching a speed I'm pretty sure ought to count as a heart attack at this point. Half of my nerves are screaming at me to turn around and protect myself. The other half are preoccupied shriveling up into themselves and shrinking out of existence with the urging that I should bolt out of there.

Is someone behind me? Who is it? Someone that followed me from the killing game? Maybe a worker that got trapped down here?

Light-headedness takes over, and I start to sway a little as I try to get myself to move. It doesn't work. I'm petrified.

Is it someone with malicious intent? Or a friendly person?

…Do I say something?

"Who's there," I demand sharply, surprised that it's come out so aggressive and vicious this time than it did the last time I was so scared. It might be my fight or flight kicking in?

"Monosuke!"

 _What? No, I must be hallucinating._

I turn around. To my surprise I find the yellow and white bear standing there illuminated under the hallway light with a smug grin as he pushes his glasses up a little higher.

"Yeah, you heard right! _Monosuke!_ I knew I'd eventually find you somewhere down here! This is MY territory! I know this place like the back of my hand! HA! Did you really think you got away or so...some...stop poking me. Why are you touching me?! Don't pull on my- HEY, PUT ME DOWN, UGLY!" Monosuke angrily demands after I've prodded at him enough and eventually pull him in a relieved hug. A teddy-bear... _exactly_ what I needed. Even if this teddy-bear is rude to me, a familiar face is so wonderful.

"Yep, you found me!" I chirp, unable to resist the smile on my face as I swing him in my arms and press my cheek against his, causing his glasses to go askew as he hisses and throws all the insults he can towards me. I hear "Ugly", "dumbass", "disgusting" here and there, but don't put him down until I'm sure I can tell myself he's _definitely_ real. By the time I've put him down, his fur is all rumpled with bits of the mess I forgot was on my shirt and his glasses are all crooked, but he doesn't immediately fix himself. "Did Monokuma send you to find me?"

…

I didn't break him, did I…?

"...N-Never touch me again when you're covered in nasty shit," Monosuke orders sharply, making me cock my head to the side innocently when he begins to furiously organize himself and then turns to me after giving up and distastefully looking at the discolored marks over his body. "No, Father didn't send me. I came down here of my own accord to look for your nasty ass! I thought I could impress him by finding you on my own. And look at that! I did!"

"You sure you weren't worried about me? Not even a little bit?" I ask, somewhat hopeful that maybe he's coming around.

"No! I ain't that bleeding heart, Monokid, don't kid yourself, Ugly. There's nothing you can do that will make me go goo-goo eyed for you. If you wanna hold your breath though, feel free to!" Monosuke claims rudely, turning his head away. "In case you're wondering, the vomit hug doesn't earn you any points on the attempt either, nasty."

I sigh but smile as I look back at the bathroom. "Well, we can wash up here so we're not so nasty anymore. Sorry I got so cuddly and touchy. Not that I assume you couldn't tell, but I got really sick and some pretty harsh backlash hit me when I got down here. As a result, I've kinda been hallucinating a bit, so...I just wanted to see if you were really here and not another figment of my imagination."

"I wish _you_ were just a figment of my imagination. You're annoying and troublesome," Monosuke answers, making me pout and turn to open the bathroom door and enter. I hold it open when Monosuke follows me in, only allowing it to close when he's out of the way.

"What is this place anyways? I know it's for Team Danganronpa, but why is it abandoned?" I ask, wondering if the bear can even answer me for a moment.

"I'm not telling you!"

Or I could get an answer like that.

"Right...okay, that's fine. I found a couple of documents and an email to the Danganronpa Head Director down here, so I guess that's enough information for me to go on," I speak again, happy someone is around to be able to listen. It makes this place a lot less scary.

"...What did ya find about it?" He asks, oddly curious sounding for a bear that apparently has enough knowledge to say they aren't gonna tell me anything. Then again, maybe he just wants to gauge how much I know so he can report to Monokuma.

I set my bag down on the bathroom counter and pull out the papers from under the clothing, holding them out to him when he jumps up to sit beside the bag.

"Here, this is everything," I say, noting Monosuke's leer as he takes it from me.

"You realize I could just rip these to shreds if I wanted to, right?" He asks me seriously, making me shrug.

"And you realize I could print more if I wanted to, right?" I respond simply, making the bear hum before he turns towards the documents to read. I undress and turn on a sink further away from Monosuke, throwing away the body suit Tsumugi had the audacity to create for me to model for the nasty side of the Danganronpa fandom.

There's no soap and my cleansing leaves a bit to be desired, but eventually I completely get rid of the nasty bits in my hair and body enough to use the spare shirts to dry myself off.

"Hey! Why do you have this thing? It's ugly! Like you!" Monosuke asks, suddenly lifting up that crude Monokuma drawing so I can't help but laugh a little.

"Ah, yeah, I know, but...I like it," I answer simply, just before grabbing the shirt from the bag and pulling it over my damp hair. It's a little tight, but it more or less suffices as far as clothing goes.

Monosuke seems a bit surprised by my admission regarding the drawing, but takes the answer and quietly puts the papers back in the bag after a moment. I would have expected him to ask why I'd like something showing Monokuma in a nice light like that drawing, but…

…

"Hey, where are the other Monokubs? Monophanie and Monodam, specifically?" I ask, making Monosuke lift his head from where he's now swinging his legs on the edge of the sink.

"Dunno. Somewhere."

 _He's suddenly so tame...what happened? What did I do?_

"Are you here to take me back to the school then?" I ask, making Monosuke shrug quietly. Now I'm getting a bit worried. After he brought up that drawing, his mood totally shifted! "...Is there something wrong?"

"I'm fine! I'm just thinking over what was said in the papers!" Monosuke defends with obvious frustration, making me hide a curious look when I tuck the bottom hem of my shirt into the shorts and button them up. Thinking over what was said in the papers...okay, now I'm sure he didn't have that information beforehand, but hey, I won't call him out on it. Instead, I pull the suspenders over my shoulders and braid my hair back, using my washed red ribbon to hold it in place even though it's still damp. "Well, since you're not here to take me back and stuff, I'm going to keep looking around the school. You don't mind, right?"

"You wanna keep going? Even after hearing that announcement on the loudspeaker?" Monosuke asks in surprise. "You _really_ wanna gamble with their lives like that, Ugly? 'Cause _I_ sure don't know what the cooked up surprise is supposed to be."

I make a bit of a face at that, but at least he addressed the announcement. That confirms it wasn't a hallucination. "I'm not _gambling_ with their lives, they'll be fine so long as I return before ten tomorrow night. That's two days I can spend running through here and researching about Danganronpa and looking for a way out," I explain, grabbing my bag and waiting up for Monosuke to get off the counter before I start heading for the bathroom exit with him.

"That purple haired brat is right, you're too cocky for your own good," Monosuke comments, making my heart jerk. That's right, he was out there while I've been gone…

"How are they? Are they doing okay? Are any of them mad at me?" I can't help but ask as we re-enter the hall, continuing my pattern of trying every door I come across for access to other rooms.

"Oh, your greenie boyfriend misses your ugly face for one. I can't imagine why, but he's pining like a heartbroken schoolgirl," Monosuke snorts in amusement, making my cheeks heat up at the thought. So Rantaro's not mad at me? "He thinks he chased you away, which is true, but I think it was inevitable that you'd find this place. I come down here a lot when I want to think alone. The other monokubs don't know it's here, so it lets me get away from them for a bit."

"I see...what about the others?"

"The girl with guns and knives think you're a traitor and expects you to drag yourself back up there. She doesn't get along with your boyfriend, both of them have had a lot of passive aggressive arguments over you. Your other boyfriend, the purple haired one, he doesn't seem to care either way what happens to you. Hmm...oh, the detective was snooping around your room with that maid girl though. Maid-girl was organizing and doing your laundry and giving the detective any items to overlook for hints you may have left behind. Other than the sudoku puzzle, which they didn't understand, of course, they didn't find much. On that note, he knows what your underwear looks like now, Ugly!"

 _Shuichi, you massive irredeemable pervert. I'm gonna kick him in the teeth when I get back._

"Nothing else really notable, some think you actually escaped, but as far as I know, there ain't any way out like that down here," Monosuke comments off-handedly. That might be an attempt to convince me to go back to the school and give up on my exploration...well, that isn't happening.

"I'll keep looking. Maybe there's at least information somewhere that will make escape easier. I'll go back topside when I'm satisfied with what I've dug up," I state clearly, making my stance in the matter well known. "You're welcome to go up ahead of me, but...I would also appreciate the company looking around here. I feel less disoriented having someone around."

Monosuke makes a face and his mouth tightens in a firm line across his features, his body stiffening as he follows me in the hall to another locked door I fail to open. He's reacting a little weirder to some of my comments than the other bears do...I wonder if he's actually okay?

"Are you okay?" I ask again, causing the yellow striped bear to growl a little.

"Shuddup. I'm just irritated. You're a helpless annoying fart. And you're ugly," Monosuke finishes, speed walking ahead to get a bit of distance.

 _...Well, at least it's just a reaction of vehement dislike rather than something actually wrong with him. Doesn't seem like he's going too far, so I guess that's a confirmation he's not going to abandon me down here._

 _The company is nice._

 ** _End of 3.11 - Scared of the Dark_**

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _To Invader Ivy: Hey, it's no problem, welcome back and thanks for the comment! :D Updates have been a bit scarce the last few weeks since college started up again for me, but hopefully it'll start picking up speed again now! I hope you're still enjoying the story~ uwu _


	41. 3:12 - The Golden Target

**_3.12 - The Golden Target_**

"This is your fault!"

"But I didn't do anything?"

"Yes, you did! You _distracted_ me! And now I'm walking around here with nasty bits still stuck to my LIGHT colored fur!"

I let out a sigh and press my fingers against my forehead, shaking my head sympathetically. Well, I didn't remind him either, so I guess I am a bit to blame here. I should have been a little more considerate of the bear after forcing a hug on him.

"Alright, fine, it's my fault. We're likely to come across another bathroom eventually, so I'll help you wash off when we get there," I say, making Monosuke huff in distaste.

"I don't need your help to bathe myself, thank you very much, _Ugly,"_ Monosuke grumbles, ever in a nasty mood. I wonder if this is how Rantaro feels with me when I'm totally uncooperative...I almost want to just speed-walk ahead and leave this rude bear in my dust.

But I won't do that. Because Rantaro didn't do that to me.

Well, at least not until I had Tenko dump him in a trash bin. So I guess I'll wait until Monosuke gets Monophanie to do that to me, or something.

I let out a sudden yelp when Monosuke suddenly turns and delivers a kick to my shin, making me jump back and lean against a wall to nurse my now throbbing leg. I haven't been kicked like that in a while and I honestly can't say I miss it. What's with it coming out of nowhere though? I didn't do anything to him, did I?

"What was that for?!" I snap, a rush of anger hitting me as I watch the yellow half-toned bear take the lead and quickly follow after him. My shin aches, but I don't want to be left behind on my own.

"Being an annoying brat, that's what for!" Monosuke answers, more or less uncaring about my pain. Is Monosuke prone to random unprompted bursts of violence or something?

 _Rantaro ought to be glad I'm at least not as bad as him._

On cue, my brain selects some instances refuting that to play in the forefront of my mind. When I punched him in the face during the third reset, when I threw my shoe over my shoulder that he ran into, when I had him chasing me around to the point he ran into the archway into the casino, and when I totally elbowed him in the face climbing up after me.

… _I think those were all his fault though._

"What if I become unable to walk? How will you show off to Monokuma if I'm incapacitated? Are you going to drag me all the way back to the school?" I ask cheekily, causing Monosuke to pause and whirl around to face me.

"You're not allowed to be incapacitated!" Monosuke claims, causing me to relax a smidgen and raise an eyebrow.

"I hardly think incapacitation is a choice...just don't kick me out of the blue like that, I'm not even doing anything to you," I say, even though it's obvious that my words are irritating Monosuke the more I continue.

The parallels of me with my behavior towards Rantaro continue to fill my head, making me eventually shut my eyes momentarily with a sigh of resignation and defeat. I'm just as irritated as Monosuke, if not more. I can't tell if I've just become hyper aware of my triggers to anger, or if I'm getting triggered more than usual in general. Everything is sort of still messed up in my head- I'm still tired and I can't be totally sure that I won't completely topple over if Monosuke decides to go ham again with kicking my shin.

"Never mind. Forget what I said. It's probably just gonna bruise at most," I snort in amusement, even though I'm not at all entertained by the thought whatsoever. "I just wanna go home to my room."

Do I really just want to give up like the others? If I go back...Monokuma is likely to figure out my method of passage and seal up all the vents. I probably won't get to explore this place again.

"Home? Don't you have amnesia? You don't even know what your home is!" Monosuke points out, making me turn back to look down at him.

"I'm talking about my room in the killing game," I simply clarify, much to the yellow-white bear's obvious discomfort as soon as I say it. "I wanna leave. Please take me back."

Monosuke actually looks a bit troubled by my admission, as if considering my words carefully. He seems like he's having a little trouble figuring out what to say.

"Could...we look around a little more? I'll take you back, I promise! But...maybe _you_ don't care to know anymore, but _I_ want to know more," Monosuke admits, causing me to cock my head towards the side slightly. So he _doesn't_ know much of the situation either. I guess I can't blame him for wanting to know information Monokuma won't tell even him, but…

"What do you need me around for? You can look around whenever you want, you said you know this place like the back of your hand? Wouldn't you rather explore without me hanging over your shoulder if you hate me so much? I mean-"

"STOP ASKING STUPID QUESTIONS! You can either escort me or find your own damn way outta this place! _Capische?"_ Monosuke inquires with a smug grin like he's definitely got me cornered logic-wise.

So I turn around on my heel to leave.

"Fine with me."

"W-Wait!"

I stop only because of Monosuke's tone, which has completely morphed to something sounding, dare I say it, kinda fearful.

 _Eh? He's not scared of this place, is he? He probably wants me to go for some stupid or cruel reason._

Monosuke is shuffling his feet where I left him when I turn back around, looking down at himself in obvious discomfort. He doesn't say anything for a moment, so I take the moment of silence to instead speak up first.

"I don't like you and based on my throbbing shin, you don't like me either. Give me a reason why I would stay and escort you _anywhere,"_ I say more than ask, crossing my arms and staring him down. If this bear doesn't give me a good enough answer, I'm headed back on my own. I'll just find a way to climb up that part of the vent I fell down somehow.

"...I don't like you either, but I prefer your trash company more than the idea of waltzin' around alone down here. I only go through this specific floor by myself 'cause…" Monosuke trails off in his answer, seemingly reluctant to admit the _why_ of his actions and his request.

"Because…? Because what?" I ask, not even hiding that I want to goad the answer out of him when I lean forward and put a hand up around my ear like I can't hear him clearly.

The yellow bear looks enraged- the red glare of his left eye sparking to life in response to his emotions.

 _Good._

"I'm not telling you, kindergarten dropout!" He declares indignantly after being unable to take my rude behavior.

"Okay, bye," I answer, turning around again and resisting a smirk when the bear audibly garbles for something to say. I kind of hope he doesn't, I really do want to just leave. Screw this place. Screw the killing game.

I just wanna go to my room and let time pass by. I want to stop caring about everything except enjoying my time with Tenko, Rantaro, and the others that do like me. After all, even though _I_ know Tsumugi is the mastermind...I can't really do anything or prove it. All I have are papers, but those can be falsified.

 _How do I even know the files I saw were legitimate anyways? Or the emails, for that matter? I don't know what to believe in this place...but I don't think I can handle hanging out with Tsumugi in that case. I don't think I'll be able to hold my temper around her._

"I'm scared!" Monosuke finally admits after I've taken a couple of steps down the hall, obviously swallowing down his pride. He sounds infuriated having to say it. When I look towards him though, any response I had planned is caught in my throat like blocks of ice.

He goes quiet, enough that the familiar silence rears its ugly head in our direction and suddenly scuttles in to greedily take up the space between and around us.

I'm almost angry.

Well "almost" isn't really the right word, because I _am_ angry again. To the point that I have to turn away to hide my expression.

 _He's_ scared?

I'm scared. I've _been_ scared this entire time. I'm scared of this place. I'm scared of dying. I'm scared of the only people I know dying. I'm scared of Monokuma. I'm scared of the Exisals. I'm scared of my past. I'm scared of finding no escape. I'm scared _of_ escaping.

But _he's_ scared and apparently that's all that should matter.

I take a deep breath to compose myself. I gave Monotaro and Monokid respect and they turned out for the better. Maybe it won't be the same for Monosuke, but I at least owe it to him to be as respectful as I was to the other two- even if he _is_ more vicious than Monokid or Monotaro were.

…

"Alright then. Let's keep looking together, in that case," I concede, exhaling and looking back at Monosuke. My vision swims momentarily, but I just lean on the wall to play it off and try to stabilize myself again. Not that I think Monosuke will be worried, but he might complain more if he finds out I'm hardly in any state to be escorting him all over this place.

Regardless of how mad I am, it remains that I still don't want the monokubs to suffer under Monokuma's control either. Deep down past my prejudices against the monokubs that still dislike me and work directly under Monokuma's influence, I can't look the other way if I'm able to help their situation.

 _"Yesss!"_ Monosuke pumps a fist in the air, right before realizing what he's doing and quickly straightening himself out. Showing some mercy, I don't address his glee and instead push off the wall to continue towards the troves of doors ahead.

One after another we check, and the more that the doors hold fast, the more I wish I had an obedient rat beside me to get all these pesky doors open.

We're about almost done with this floor, but I'm quite nearly done with the whole area in general. The only thing repeating over and over in my mind is that this is wasting my precious time with the others.

"Who's the damn wise guy that locked all these doors anyways?! What was the point if everyone was gonna up and amscram-?!" Monosuke complains until I lift up a leg in preparation to kick the door, letting out a scream of anger to release the pent up stress slowly building up in my body. I'm going to go insane down here. Maybe _everything_ is a nasty, terrible hallucination. I want to _leave._ I want to go back topside. I want-

Monosuke flinches back at the display and sound I've made as I aggressively slam my against hard enough against the door to feel some pain rattle up my leg. The yellow-toned bear has both hands up in my general direction like I'm about to go feral as I'm infamously known for- which, admittedly, I'm pretty much about to do.

To his surprise though, as well as my own, the door suddenly swings open under my physical demand. The rage in my soul dies out into a feeling of calm awe, allowing me to gape at the door before looking to Monosuke. He turns just as I do, allowing us to share the same shocked look of disbelief.

"Holy SHIT, that's a KICK! Why the hell didn't you do that sooner on all the other doors?!" Monosuke asks incredulously, prompting me to immediately turn and run to the previous door with an aggressive shout. I lift my leg again and reel it in for extra force, then swinging my leg in a similar manner as I had done to get the first door open.

My foot makes contact with the door, loud enough that the sound echoes through the hallway and darkness like thunder.

Once again, I feel some pain rattle up my leg.

And then a lot of pain.

Soon enough, I find myself curled up on the ground clutching my leg like the naive fool I truly am. I can only describe the sounds I'm making to be that of a dying walrus with constricted vocal cords.

"Ah...I guess it only worked for this door," Monosuke hesitantly comments, stepping closer as I try to will the tears at the corners of my eyes to go away. "...You didn't break your damn leg, didja?"

"No, but it feels like I did," I whimper, having to writhe on the ground for a bit longer before I can finally get up and walk back to that one door I managed to kick open. At first I wonder if my anger happened to summon some sort of "superpower" from my adrenaline like in the movies, but upon inspecting the door, I see the door frame where the metal piece fits simply broke off from weak and dry wood.

 _This place must be older than I thought...just how long ago did everyone leave this place?_

"WHOA! What's this computer and table for?! Also, holy shit, there's more nerd tools here than in the Ultimate Inventor's lab!" Monosuke says, leaping towards the table and moving stuff around curiously. He pushes past some papers and what looks to be blueprints, clearly more interested in the tools since he grabs for them first. The first item he pulls out is a pair of pliers, which he opens and closes experimentally.

I walk in the room more, heading towards the table but stopping as I examine the equipment around the walls. Cables line the floor, all rooted towards the table Monosuke is exploring with much gusto. Presumably, they're all connected to that computer beside the desk on its own trolley

"Maybe...it's a programmer's room? This all seems so complex, do programmers even _need_ rooms as big as this one?" I question out loud in wonder as I lean over to pick at a cord and lift it up with some other cables. It hardly raises from the ground, stuck in a web of other cords that keep it down against the floor.

"How would I know?" Monosuke answers, even though it was more of a rhetorical question and I wasn't really asking him. Either way, I don't talk back to the bear. I approach the desk, being careful of where I put my foot so a cable doesn't end up snagging me where I'll fall over with how bad my balance still is from lack of energy.

As I'm rounding the table, I can't help but snicker in amusement.

"Rantaro would totally trip and face plant immediately like the clumsy oaf he is if he walked into a room like this," I giggle, causing Monosuke to snort in response.

"Wow. You really have it bad for him, don't cha?" Monosuke points out bluntly, waving a mini wrench in my direction. My heart jerks in panic at the call out, causing my face to begin getting warm before I force it down.

"I-I do not! I just miss him! F-Friends can miss their friends!" I point out, making Monosuke hum in thought. Now what? Is he gonna insist I have a crush on Rantaro? It's not a crush! It's just his stupid crummy face!

"Lemme guess, you've been thinking about him the whole time you've been down here?" Monosuke accuses with a laugh of mockery, causing heat to flood to my facial features even more as I indignantly respond, _"No!_ I've thought about Kokichi too!"

I shouldn't have said that, and Monosuke makes that fact clear when he lets out a boisterous laugh like I'm the biggest joke on the planet. I meant it in a "he annoys me" way, but Monosuke has other ideas.

"Oh-ho- _ho!_ So you've thought of _both_ your boyfriends!" He shouts louder through his laughter much to my horror.

"They aren't my b-boyfriends, stop calling them that! I've also thought about Tenko, and Kirumi! And Ang-!"

"No no no! As soon as I said you were thinkin' of Matcha Green Yogurt, your first immediate response was- _'Kokichiii~!'"_ Monosuke mocks me, saying the rat's name in a girly falsetto voice that has my cheeks flush more if only going by how close I feel to passing out.

"I-I didn't say it like _that!"_

"Yeah, well no take backsies! I know you like him! _He_ knows you like him!"

"No, he doesn't! Because I don't have a crush on him!" I exclaim, holding up a hand to stop anymore words from the bear and turning away to glare at a wall. "Look, I _don't_ like Kokichi! It's just because he has a cute face that I may have a bit of a bias. He's rude, he's inconsiderate, he's extremely annoying, and he's clingy. Sure, maybe he's a _little_ funny, but it's overshadowed by the fact he's the type of guy that no sane girl would EVER want to kiss. I say that on the pretense that I would sooner drink gasoline and swallow a lit match than ever put my lips near that diseased rat. That's all there is to it. Stop looking so deep into it."

I look back at Monosuke when I hear the sound of something clicking, only to see the bear turning away quickly and seemingly coughing as he fiddles with something that he soon is tying around his neck. When he turns back to face me, I see he's tied a small drawstring bag around his neck like a necklace.

"Fine, not like I really care either way. You humans are disgusting. Anyways, I think I can turn this computer on, just gimme a second!" The bear says, jumping off the table as I run my hands over my face to calm my blush down. It was bad enough being accused about Rantaro and I just _had_ to give Monosuke more ammo by saying Kokichi's stupid name.

 _Stupid Kokichi…! I've said it before and I'll say it again, he torments me even when he isn't physically present!_

I reach for the blueprints on the table, organizing them in front of me even though I'm not really looking at them.

 _He's such a jerk anyways...he bugs me all the time, even when I feel bad and ask him not to. He's the bane of my existence._

Scowling at the papers, I can't help but wonder more about him. Before I left, he said he had information. That he wanted to tell me something that might help us all get out of here. Why in the world would he want to tell me specifically anything? In fact, why would he invite me into his room in the first place? I can't tell if he trusts me to a certain degree taking that into consideration, or if he was just saying what he said as bait to try and keep me around. Still, what was the point? Messing with me? Company seeking? Manipulation? Confiding in me?

I lean over the table and groan, pressing my face into my hands. Understanding Kokichi is like trying to understand rocket science in five minutes- impossible. Maybe me always trying to make sense of it and rationalize it is a mistake. I should just take him at face value and live with the fact I'll never actually understand him.

 _Then again...that time when he locked me in that classroom with him to prod at my gullibility...he seemed to enjoy me trying to pick him apart and figure him out. Of course, I was wholesomely unsuccessful, but maybe he wants to be understood to an extent? I don't want to act on that assumption though, I might push him away if he thinks I'm to nosy…_

…

…!

Wait. I _want_ him to leave me alone and stop bugging me! Maybe I _should_ force myself to be extra nosy with him!

"I got it!" Monosuke snaps me out of my musings, the sound of the old computer powering on along with the machinery lights around us.

 _Well, time to see what secrets this computer holds in par…_

My thoughts trail off when I finally see and process the blueprints I've been hovering over, eyes narrowing and eventually widening entirely between my open fingers when I see the bits of information my eyes pick up from bouncing all over the page.

"H-Hey...these files on the computer are…" I hear Monosuke stammer in shock as I remove my hands off of my face entirely to pick up the blueprints and skim the content furtively.

"...Monokub blueprints!" I blurt out, feeling Monosuke immediately jump over onto my shoulder to see. I point at the schematics shape and some of the internal features, namely their left eye where a red LED light appears to be inputted and their strange mouth shape. There's something... _odd_ about Monophanie's design that I can't put my finger on, so I dismiss it for the time being.

"These are Monophanie's schematics though...I guess the five of you are made differently," I observe, causing Monosuke to point at the other papers.

"Find mine!" He demands, which I comply with by assembling the five monokub blueprints out across the desk side by side. They're titled, _Mk-1, Mk-2, Mk-3, Mk-4,_ and _Mk-5,_ so I grab one of the dusty markers in an old cupholder on the desk and write Monophanie's name on hers, that being _Mk-5._

After some overlooking and debate on the blueprints with Monosuke's help, we finally mark down the rest of them: _Mk-1_ being Monokid, _Mk-2_ being Monodam, _Mk-3_ being Monotaro, and _Mk-4_ being Monosuke.

Once we have them organized, I bring forward Monosuke's blueprints for the sake of observation, scanning all the small writing and eventually pausing to point at something.

Specifically, the bomb located within his system.

 _"Ack!_ Why is that shitty bomb so big?!" Monosuke asks with obvious horror, making me turn to him seriously.

He's likely going to say no, but it's worth a try.

"We can-" I start, but I'm unable to even get a single sentence out before he's cutting me off.

"No!" Monosuke answers, jumping off of my shoulder and onto the table by the blueprints. Upon turning to face me, he looks angry. "I don't need your help! _Especially_ from a bleeding heart like you, UGLY! I know where my loyalties lie!" Monsuke claims, making me eyebrows knit together as I point at the blueprints where the bomb is.

"Does that look like something worth your loyalty? A fat bomb shoved into your system if you become too 'annoying' or 'problematic' in Monokuma's eyes? That's a sick way to show respect, if you ask me," I point out, hoping to get some semblance of reason to reach him to at least let me get the bomb out of his body. With my intuition, I think I can do it. "I'm not asking you to join my fanclub, you want to hate me, that's fine! Just let me get that thing out of you so-"

"I said no! So long as I obey Father and follow his rules, I'll stay in commission. Monotaro got blown up because _you_ interfered and tricked him, and that's not happening to me! The second I get it removed is the moment that proves I have no faith in him!" Monosuke argues much to my dissatisfaction.

 _Fine, he loves the bomb and doesn't want it removed, whatever. His funeral. But..._

I slam my hands down suddenly on the table with a shocking bang, making the yellow and white toned bear flinch violently in response as he looks straight at me.

"I didn't TRICK him. I told Monotaro myself not to follow me or be nice to me. _He_ chose that for himself. I already knew Monokuma would likely do something to him, that's why I said something in the first place. I've spent enough hours blaming myself for not trying harder, but don't twist the situation into a fucking narrative where I WANTED Monotaro to die," I snarl, only slapping a hand over my mouth when I realize just how vicious I sound.

Understandably, I'm mad and I've acted out on it as per usual. I need to work on that, Rantaro wasn't wrong about my anger issues needing to be controlled, that's for sure. However...something about my latest outburst feels wrong. I felt it before when Monosuke admitted being scared. It's like my anger has become harder to control since I woke up...

"...I-I'm sorry, I came off _way_ too strongly, that wasn't my intention. Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad you're changing the narrative, but I didn't mean to scream at you. I haven't been well since I woke up today, so everything I do and think is all screwed up right now," I clarify, scowling down at the table even though no one is actually chastising me. Still, I feel bad regardless.

"...Whatever…" Monosuke simply answers, obviously off-put by my explosive mood swing and what I said. So much for convincing him to let me remove the bomb from inside him. "How would you even take the bomb out anyways? You're not the Ultimate Inventor or Roboticist by any long shot. What if you damage me? According to the blueprints, the bomb is under my energy module- which is my power source. You'd have to put me offline to get access to the bomb and delete the files and code associated with it so it doesn't set off the thing while you're extractin' it."

I tap my head.

"Intuition," I answer, making Monosuke hum and eventually nod in understanding.

"...and if I said yes, could you promise me the process won't alter any of my files? The computer can achieve that while I'm connected. How do I know you wouldn't damage or even _intentionally_ change my files to benefit you and your stupid classmates while I'm out?" Monosuke demands, tapping a foot.

"Hm...well, I can promise it and maybe we can find a way for you to be completely aware of what's going on so it isn't uncomfortable for you. Like, while I have your systems open on the computer, maybe I can simultaneously plug you into the computer's power source so you can see exactly what I'm doing to remove just the bomb and the files for the bomb?" I suggest, peering back down at the blueprints.

"Hmm…" Monosuke contemplates on my words, looking away at the computer pensively. Will he agree? Or does Monokuma have a stronger grip on him than I thought? I don't understand how Monosuke can possibly trust that monster bear…he's a thousand times worse than any of the Monokubs, even Monophanie- and I despise her attitude. Especially how she behaves towards Rantaro…

Darn. I wanna see him.

"Welcome back to the present! I said _yes._ Get the bomb out of me and keep me aware so I can kill you if you try tampering with something," Monosuke snaps me out of my thoughts, causing me to focus on him as he lays down on the table belly up. "I don't know how this is supposed to go…I don't remember havin' any maintenance ever done on me, so I guess it's up to you to figure it out. Read those blueprints and do that freaky thing you do."

I know I mentioned it out loud and I don't talk about it often for the fact it's under the Ugly Rules not to bring it up, but…it's still odd to hear someone else mention it.

"What do you think it is? I mean…is it normal at all to be able to do what I do, even slightly?" I ask, causing Monosuke to snort in disbelief.

"Normal? I just called it 'freaky' for a good reason. You're a total freakazoid, no one should be able to do what you do. Well, maybe that lesser robot in your ranks is the most likely if he's been programmed to in his AI, but a flesh and blood human? No. It's wrong...I'm guessin' that's why Father likes you so much. He liked that you managed to escape an attempt on your life and he accurately counted on you to escape it this time too."

"Jeez, Monotaro and Monokid weren't kidding when they said he was obse…" I trail off, frowning and looking away from scanning the _Mk-4_ blueprints to look at Monosuke in horror.

 _He said he accurately counted on me to escape death_ _ **"this time too"**_ _? As in…_

I put down the blueprints and pull the bag on my shoulder off to pull the other documents out, my face feeling like all the blood has drained out of it when I grab the Ultimates list and scan it's contents again.

Ryoma the second victim and Kirumi the second…murderer.

But I'm here.

I'm the golden target.

I started feeling funny after eating that food she made for me. I was throwing up, my stomach hurt, and everything inside me was on fire. The agonizing pain went on for so long and all I wanted was for it to stop.

 _And only now I'm understanding it was meant to kill me entirely._

"...A-Are you crying?" I think I hear Monosuke ask, but I'm too busy staring at the document in my hands.

 _She poisoned my food and had the audacity to smile and pretend everything was fine, even giving me advice on a theoretical escape she probably could see right through me on after the matter. She poisoned my food after working with Rantaro to keep the tunnel a secret for my safety._

Didn't she say something then too? When I asked her if she would hate someone for leaving her and the others behind in the killing game…

 _"Well, I would understand anyone's desire to leave...and if they had the chance, I couldn't fault them for seizing the opportunity- especially one that causes the least damage to those they leave behind. Essentially, those left behind will still have a chance to escape, and if they're lucky the escapee can possibly bring back external assistance."_

An escape that causes the least amount of damage to the others…she was talking about what _she_ _herself_ did, wasn't she? Her actions to kill me..she gave me firsthand knowledge on the matter. Because she wanted to murder me and give the others a fighting chance while she got out of the killing game and seized the opportunity…

But I needed to die for them and once again I managed to survive somehow by pulling another lucky miracle from out of nowhere.

If people turn on one another as easily as her and Kaede…then really, what _is_ the point of me fighting so hard?

Maybe by the time I find us a way out, _if_ I find one altogether, we will have already finished killing off one another.

"...I really hate this place…" I manage to get out without letting a sob escape me, moving to put the document away so no more tears speckle and warp the paper. With that, I focus on reading the blueprints again so I can get this bomb removal procedure over with and head above ground.

The tears make the reading process a bit difficult though, turning my vision blurry even when I reach up to wipe my eyes dry.

Is it hypocritical of me to be angry with Kirumi for seizing the opportunity? I don't know. The only difference with her method of escape is that _my_ inquiry of escape didn't involve me stabbing _her_ in the back or anything. I hate thinking about it.

 _She tried to kill you. You have every right to be angry. You're allowed to care about your own livelihood. You're no one's sacrificial sheep._

I have to say that to myself a few times before the tears stop forming, allowing me properly scan the page a couple of times before I can reach for Monosuke where he's laying and looking the other way from me.

"Okay, I'm ready," I say, more or less composed although disquiet as a result of the truth he accidentally revealed.

"...I wasn't supposed to say that," he comments after I grab some tools and brush through the thin fluff of his body to find the screwdrivers keeping his belly attached to him.

I don't answer him, removing the screws and eventually pulling his stomach plate off to examine the material I'm working with. He has a bunch of wires and connections in the way, but eventually after some digging through the blueprints and closing my eyes, I navigate the right cord of the computer to the right connection to where I can remove Monosuke's energy module to reach the location of the bomb. I'm sort of in a daze, but once I have that set, I grab for the power cable of the computer Monosuke says should take care of keeping him powered through the process and I use my intuition on the blueprints to navigate it to the correct location.

Using my intuition, things progress quickly since I don't need to search around or dig and second guess myself on what leads to what.

He's hooked up properly and can watch me carefully remove the energy module, which I treat delicately as I set it aside on the table where I won't knock it over or hit it.

I'm pretty sure by Monosuke's small hitch of a mechanical breath I'm sure serves no purpose other than to express emotion, he notices something I notice at the same time.

 _If I was terrible and I wanted to, I could break that energy module or hide it…and I could just leave Monosuke here to rot._

Clearly neither of us really thought in depth about how much trust a process like this may warrant from either of us. Monosuke's essentially at my mercy at this point, and he knows it.

"Relax. It's going back in as soon as the bomb is out. I'm not a monster," I tell the yellow bear, pushing my ponytail behind my shoulder and turning to the computer to start the process of deleting the bomb files before I go tampering with the physical bomb itself.

"I-I'm not nervous, Dumbass Ugly! I can still beat you up if I need to in this state!" he claims, despite the shiver that rattles up his body.

 _Alright, what am I looking for…I don't have much of a guide for this process, I just need to be careful about what I open, move, or delete._

It looks so complicated on the computer, but with some careful navigation, I eventually find the correct file destination and open up the files to browse the content and make sure nothing else important is in there.

"So that just gets deleted and then we should be safe from the bomb exploding, right? We can just rip it right out?" Monosuke asks, making me sigh and shake my head. He looks a bit irritated by my answer, but hey, no one said bomb removal was easy. Even for me with my intuition at hand.

"Uh, from what the blueprints said, deleting the files just prevents the explosion if it senses that it's being removed and stuff. I'll still need to be careful cutting it out of you and snipping the wires. If we leave it in now, it still has the potential to blow up if I cut a wrong wire or do something else that causes a bad chemical reaction. We're removing the file in particular that allows Monokuma the ability to detonate any of you kubs from afar though, so at least you won't have to worry about that anymore," I explain, noting how the bear glances nervously at the hole exposing his mechanical innards.

He doesn't seem like he's all too sure about this anymore.

Maybe I was coming on a little too hard with telling him to let me remove it? I don't want to make him feel like I'm forcing him to go through the whole process, if we at least remove Monokuma's power and leverage over him, I think he should be fine...even if what I really want is to get the whole entire bomb out of him.

In the end though, it's his own choice. I shouldn't impose it on him.

"If you're more comfortable with just deleting the files that allows Monokuma to detonate you, we can stop there. You don't have to go through the whole endeavor if you don't want to. I know I pushed, but I won't make you do it unless you're absolutely-"

"I want it out," Monosuke cuts me off to state clearly, this time with total conviction lining his tone as I blink his way and eventually concede when I believe he's sure of his decision. I turn and face the computer again, selecting the bomb files and looking back one more time at Monosuke.

When there's no objection, I drag them over the delete folder so the files vanish. This is followed by a prompting command that asks to automatically delete code in relation to the files, which I promptly agree to and allow the page to open up to a series of code that immediately has my expression twisting with concern. I'm not proficient in computers by any means...sure, the system seems to have a nifty design and function that highlights the specific strings of codes that need to be deleted for full functionality to continue, but I really wish I knew _exactly_ what I'm deleting. This might be riskier than I originally surmised it to be...

Nevertheless, I delete the strings of code anyways despite the sudden wave of anxiety rushing over me at the thought of deleting something that will mess up Monosuke's system.

 _What if we never had the chance to do this again though? If I can do this on the other monokubs, I'd need to find another computer and I'll need to repeat these actions with them too, won't I? I could try and convince Kokichi to help me break into Miu's lab since I know there's a computer in there...would Monokuma even let me tamper with the monokubs though, or would he stop me from doing so?_

 _...Well, at least seeing the strings of code I need to delete will make the process easier later when I go ahead and abuse my intuition all over again, considering that's all I'm doing as of late._

"How are you doing over there? I think I'm almost done with removing the code for the bomb, so..." I start to say, turning around and feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end for some reason when I notice Monosuke staring at me. He's not angry or upset looking, but the look is...odd. He's never given me a look like that before. "What is it? Do you feel something weird? Is everything okay?"

"...Nah! Nothing's wrong," Monosuke agrees after a moment, regaining that usual snarky mood as he grins and adds on, "I was just thinkin' I can see you making these expressions in the reflection of the computer screen like you're constipated as all hell!"

My concern dies away in an instant, replaced with a dry look of disdain. I almost want to remind him I'm holding his livelihood in my hands right now, but that wouldn't be proper. Instead I just turn away back to the computer and try not to look constipated, or whatever.

A few deletes later and I throw up my arms in relief, turning towards Monosuke and the table again to scan the blueprints one more time.

"Alright, here we go. Doctor Prairie's in business," I say, closing my eyes once I have the proper tools lined up for the procedure.

"Just don't kill us both setting the thing off, and we're good," Monosuke reminds me as I feel my muscles begin to work overtime, moving quickly under the confidence of my intuition. I pause to peek at the work every now and then, making sure I sort of "refresh" what I'm seeing so I don't make any mistakes.

…

And when I finally feel my intuition come to a slow in relation to my movements, I open my eyes to finish pulling out what looks to be a black box the size of maybe a lunch pail from Monosuke's body. My eyes widen when I see it and peeking over at Monosuke himself, I can see he's visibly flabbergasted as well.

The bomb is larger and deadlier looking in real life than it was hidden behind all the cables or on the blueprint.

"I-I'll just...set it over here," I say, putting it aside on the desk and reaching up to wipe the tickle of blood at my nose away with my forearm. Reorganizing his cables is easy enough, and once his energy module is back in, I unplug him from the computer. I put his stomach plate and the screwdrivers back and eventually let out a sigh of relief.

 _Success!_

With everything finished, Monosuke sits up and tests moving around, eventually standing on the table and making a noise of surprise.

"Woah, I feel so much lighter now! Damn, that shit was _heavy!"_ Monosuke says as I start gathering the blueprints and the tools I used into my bag. Seeing this, Monosuke gives me a look and eventually seems to relax in understanding. "Ah, you're gonna try and get bombs out of the others, aren't you? God, you're predictable. Whatever, do what ya want. Just a reminder that I ain't treating you anything like Monokid does, so I hope you don't regret this when I immediately start kicking you and knocking you around again in the killing game!"

I don't say anything to that, simply looking back at the bomb.

Should I bring it with us? Although then again, what would I even do with it? I could probably fling it at Monokuma, but...chances are that I'd sooner detonate it on myself. It's a bomb- hardly something that should be toyed with.

"Ready to keep exploring then?" Monosuke asks as I pull the bag of contents over my shoulder again.

I start to take a step around the table and end up needing to stop and grab the edge when I sway, my vision going dark enough that I end up having to guide myself to the floor so I don't end up hitting my head on anything from lack of balance.

My ears are ringing. Everything feels like it's either swaying or spinning, even though I can feel that I'm on what should be steady ground.

 _I feel weird…_

"I'm just gonna…close my eyes for a little bit…just a little bit…" I try to say, unable to hear my own voice as I look around for Monosuke. I can barely make him out since I eventually drift off into darkness.

When I come to again, it's only for a few minutes and I can see Monosuke is seated beside me digging into my bag. I can't tell what he's doing for a moment, until I see him ripping up the emails and documents I'd printed out from the computer downstairs. He seems to notice me having caught him, but he continues ripping them to shreds anyways, which I can't help but feel both horrified yet resigned about. Figures that he can't allow me to waltz back topside with the papers…Monokuma wouldn't like that and regardless of the procedure, Monosuke is still working for Monokuma.

I feel my eyes drift shut again after that discouraging sight, and with some more passing time, I eventually come to again to feel Monosuke slapping at my arm.

"...ome on! We'll try and walk to the exit, it's scary down here if you're just gonna keep sleeping like this!"

I let him poke, pull, and pinch at me incessantly until I can properly open my eyes and force myself on my feet. Everything is spinning still, so I have to use the wall just to keep myself upright.

 _Where's the bag? Did he rip up the blueprints too?_

When I look to the bear again, I notice he's carrying the bag in question. To my relief, he didn't tear up the blueprints, so I guess he has some sort of heart that at least cares for the other monokubs.

In my daze, I manage to follow the bear a good distance without falling over too much. On the other hand, I have to stop often so I don't pass out entirely when the inky darkness in my vision starts to intensify, but I eventually follow Monosuke into an elevator somewhere in the same floor.

 _We didn't even get to use the last day to explore and now we're going back…_

I'm starting to close my eyes again, losing the battle to keep myself awake.

"Hey, no! Don't fall asleep again! If you don't make it back in time, who knows what Father will do to your loser friends! I'm not dragging you up there and out of this elevator!" Monosuke says, making me force my eyes open to look his way in confusion even though I feel so heavy.

Make it back in time? We still have a whole day to explore, I thought he wanted to keep walking around to find information…?

"Don't look at me like that, I don't have to do this. I'm just putting us on equal terms since you took that shitty bomb out. You've been sleeping forever, so now you're on short time. I even managed to get the nasty bits you left on me cleaned off in a bathroom while you were out! It was scary going alone!" Monosuke accuses, making me look around for some identifying source to tell me the time. Of course, there isn't any inside the elevator, so I simply slide down into a sitting position and try to keep myself awake.

Everything feels like it's slowing down, and yet Monosuke's over here telling me I blinked out for hours and now it's almost the end of the time frame.

 _I don't feel particularly in pain, if anything I'm completely pain free. I just…feel like sleeping…_

My eyes drift shut until I hear a bell ding, causing me to snap open my eyes and slap my cheeks lightly to keep myself from drifting off. This state I'm in definitely seems to be the result using my intuition, I wasn't feeling like this til after Monosuke's operation…

I reach up with my arm to check my nose, and there's a few more drops of blood than the last time I checked. It's not a lot compared to other times of backlash.

Running my fingers to my eyes, ears and my mouth, I find no blood in any of the other usual suspect areas. It's odd, since the other times I've bled enough to look like I was on the verge of dying. I can feel this pressure in my head that feels like it's about to burst at any moment though, so maybe that's the buildup of the rebound?

The elevator doors have been open for a while now, and I realize this when I see someone step into my line of sight a couple of feet away. I'm still in a total daze but I can just barely make out the fountain and the garden past the person. How did we get back so fast? I never noticed an elevator in the garden, that doesn't even make sense.

 _Am I hallucinating all this? Maybe I'm still in the computer room, aren't I? None of this is happening. I don't need to worry about anything I guess..._

Monosuke is by their feet, telling the person a couple of things before I realize who is in my presence. Despite the fact that I've told myself nothing's real and that I don't need to be concerned, my blood still seems to go cold when I see her.

It's Kirumi who's found me...although Monosuke seems to be in conversation with her- one that I can barely make out from how much of a daze I'm in. Kirumi herself looks troubled, looking from me to Monosuke and back as if she's confused about something. Considering she did something to my food, it's no wonder she's surprised to see me back here. She probably expected me to be dead already.

 _But I guess this is just my subconscious idea of how it would be if I was really back, right? Or would Kirumi try to kill me right here and-_

Just as I think that, I see Kirumi pull something out of her apron pocket, looking back towards me completely and promptly kicking Monosuke aside with a careless foot to approach me.

The pressure is on the verge of bursting and I try to reel myself back in even when I realize what's in her hands are a pair of large scissors.

 _...This is a hallucination, right? So I can just sit here and I'll still be fine?_

Kirumi is getting closer.

She doesn't look anything like Kaede did the time she tried to kill me- Kirumi has this gritty look of steeled determination across her features. It's an expression of conviction I've never seen on anyone's face before, one that makes my stomach churn violently when the familiar panic ridden sensation of fight or flight sets, made all the worse since I can see her unlike how Kaede was approaching from behind. I thought it was worse not seeing it coming, but I was wrong.

 _I don't care if it's a hallucination, I want to run away!_

I grab the bag beside me that I notice Monosuke dropped when we arrived, only to feel my brain scream from the inside when I realize how groggy and slow my movements are.

 _Move faster!_

 _No, forget about that, you need to defend yourself!_

 _ **Grab something!**_

I snatch a large wrench and turn back in time to see Kirumi already swinging.

On impulse, my eyes snap shut and I swing the wrench, feeling my arm speed up just in time to knock the scissors out of the way. They go flying and I take the chance to push myself up by jamming my shoulder up into her collarbone as I go. Kirumi falls back and I take my chance to head for the door.

At that point reality seems to snap back into place even though I'm still immensely groggy and weak.

This isn't a dream.

I'm actually being targeted again.

What doesn't help is the fact I can't even walk in a straight line at the moment.

The luxury of indecisiveness that Kaede had as well as my mobility are all but non-existent this round. All I can think about as I stumble across the fountain by running straight into the water is that I might not survive this time.

I can already hear her heels clicking swiftly behind me as she jumps in the fountain and tackles me into the water. The weight of my own body succumbs to gravity and I manage to throw the bag in time so the blueprints aren't ruined, all which is followed by the awful sound of a crack as my forehead connects with the edge of the fountain hard enough to make my teeth and spine rattle from the impact.

The agonized shrill noise that escapes me is only natural, but it's quickly drowned out when Kirumi yanks me back and grabs the back of my neck and shoves my body under the water. Illogical broken thoughts fill my mind- things I shouldn't be registering or thinking about considering the situation.

 _Wait-_

 _Not enough air-_

 _Can't breathe-_

 _Too much water-_

 _My head hurts-_

 _Where is Kirumi?_

I open my mouth in response to the overwhelming need to take in air that I can't reach, squirming violently despite Kirumi's hands at my neck and the feeling of her entire weight resting there and keeping me down. Until the moment I realize I can't inhale even the water, it clicks that she's strangling me to try and kill me faster.

 _Where is the wrench?_

I focus on looking for the wrench even though I feel more and more like just giving up and letting it happen. Just quitting everything- even seeing Rantaro, Tenko, and the others again.

 _If they're all just going to line up and do this to me, what is the point of living anymore?_

 _Don't think like that-_

 _I don't want to think like that-_

 _I want to live-_

My left hand wraps around something and with all the force I can muster, I jam it back into Kirumi's ribs as hard as I possibly can, making her grip around my neck loosen for a moment.

 _AGAIN!_

Bending my knee under me and against the bottom of the fountain, I jam the wrench back harder in the same place with my intuition and I feel her grip loosen once more, which is enough for me to push up and get out of the water to take in some air. Before I can get a satisfactory amount of oxygen, her grip tightens again and she moves to try and shove me back under. My grip on the wrench with my soaked hands sends it under the bubbles of the patchy pink water again and grab onto the edge of the fountain with my hand, fighting off her weight despite how much larger she is than me.

A graceful individual with a stride like a dancer and a kind smile.

 _Lies._

I force myself to turn and whip my arm back, giving in to my urge to hurt her when I use my nails to scratch her face as hard as I can- digging into her skin and trying to ignore the satisfaction of her pained cry. I don't know where I scratched her or if it was as meager as I think, but still. Everything about _wanting_ to make someone else hurt in a manner unlike the irritable kind that has spawned from times before feels so wrong.

I want to hurt her more.

 _Where is the wrench?_

I let her force me down a little and grab it, this time whipping my arm back and jamming it against her face hard enough for her to cry out louder this time. She lets go completely and falls back in the water.

 _ **Now turn around and hit her again.**_

Hesitating on letting my instincts regarding the "fight" element in my fight or flight response, I leap out of the water on unsteady feet and grab the bag I threw outside of the fountain, sweeping in the tools and blueprints along with dirt and mud from my wet arms.

I don't even turn to look at Kirumi, keeping the wrench at hand if I need it. Is she okay? I don't know.

I don't even care.

Stumbling out of the garden, I look from the school to the dormitories. I have a safe space I can hide out in either location...and from what I can see, the dormitories are the closest to me. Straight and to a sharp right near the end of the path.

Halfway across that stretch, I hear footsteps behind me again. The clicking of her heels have been replaced with the sound of crunching gravel as they close the distance. My hand tightens around the wrench and I swing around with the intention of hitting her straight across her face.

"You…" the voice starts, a hand grabbing hold of my free arm as I turn to whip my left arm around as hard as I can.

I manage to stop halfway when I realize the voice is different, slowly coming to the realization who's grabbed me as I slow down my assault.

It's not Kirumi, it's Maki.

She frowns, eyeing the wrench in my hand and then looking to my forehead, neck and body.

Maki looks like she wants to say something, but I just buckle down to my knees in defeat when I feel a sharp pain in my head. In an instant, I turn away and blood spills out of my esophagus like a waterfall. I'm not sure if that's my limit or it's caused by the relief of seeing somebody else, even someone that hates me like Maki.

But maybe this is a bad thing too. What if she decides to kill me here too? Unlike Kirumi, something tells me she would have no qualms with that, even as the Ultimate Murderous Fiend.

 _What do I do? Do I hit her too? I don't know what to do, she's still holding onto my arm._

My vision tints pink and red, making me desperately wipe it away with my arm like it will allow me to recover from backlash faster. Just before my ears suddenly pop painfully, I hear Kirumi's heels finally catch up and stop in our presence. In fact, I can hear her saying something too.

"Kirumi...what's going on," I hear Maki say more than ask, the two of us watching Kirumi catch her breath. Using their momentary stare down with one another, I look around and try to blink the blood from my eyes to find an escape route.

It looks like it's a little past sunset, so clearly I made it before ten pm but earlier than eight pm.. Still, I could use another "classmate" stumbling across us so I'm not teamed up on and stabbed to death, this isn't good.

"...Maki, please get out of the way. You're not involved in this and I don't want to hurt you," I hear Kirumi state, my hand finding its way up to Maki's grip around it. I'm about to try and pry her fingers from around me before I feel the tickle of blood at my nose and can't resist wiping it away instead.

 _I'm going to die here, aren't I? Maki probably wants to leave as badly as Kirumi...will they fight over me?_

…

"I don't feel like moving," Maki answers to my surprise, making me look back up at her in time to see her eyes flick towards me for a split second. "Prairie, go to your room. Now."

 _S-She actually sounds like the Ultimate Child Caregiver for once..._

The relief that washes over me is instant and I can't help but exhale heavily, the weight of all the stress on my body heavier than ever. I want to keel over and take a very _very_ long nap.

Just as I stand up though, Kirumi opens her mouth again and my heart stops.

"I saw her come out of a hidden elevator with a monokub. You can't tell me you'll just let her go as the mastermind, look in her bag. She even has blueprints with the monokubs names on them."

Maki looks, although her head is angled in a way where Kirumi is still easily visible in her peripherals. Since I know I'm playing a losing game, I hold out the bag with my trembling arms and open it up so she can see the messy contents in it. Regardless of the dirt and tools, it's obvious that Kirumi is telling the truth and I look like the villain again.

"I see...well, then. I'll take care of her then," Maki answers, looking back at Kirumi. "If she dies, we can leave, after all, right? Kaede seemed to believe it."

 _I give up._

The wrench in my left hand falls to the ground with a clatter and I look away at the ground. More blood is collecting in my mouth, which I swallow despite how awful it tastes.

 _I guess I can rest now._

Maki pulls me in front of her with her arm around my waist, bringing something out that's attached to her leg hidden under her skirt. As soon as Kirumi sees this, she takes a step forward and Maki points what she has at my head.

"Careful." The sound of a click makes Kirumi surprisingly stop in her tracks. "My finger might slip early. This needs to be a clean kill."

The gun is right against the side of my head with the safety clearly off. Any moment now and I'm a corpse.

…

…

Maki isn't doing anything…

"...You look tense, Kirumi. You don't think she's the mastermind anymore?"

Two things become apparent to everyone at that moment.

Maki isn't going to kill me and Kirumi now knows it.

Kirumi takes another step closer, causing Maki to instead point the gun her way. When she doesn't immediately stop, Maki surprisingly fires the gun, making me jerk in her arms before she tightens her arm around my waist to keep me still. It doesn't hit Kirumi, but she stops at the sound it makes.

 _Am I actually safe? Why would Maki, who doesn't trust me and believes herself that I'm part of this whole charade with Monokuma?_

"Odd that you have a gun on you, isn't it, Maki?" Kirumi asks after a moment of tension.

"I don't think you're in a position to be asking questions. You've been caught and as long as I'm here, you can't kill this brat. So leave."

…

Kirumi's entire form seems to relax at that point. Her shoulders sink a little and she sighs. Everything settles down in that moment as Kirumi slips the scissors she was carrying in her apron and turns around.

At least, I thought things would settle at that point.

Maki raises the gun in her hand and aims at Kirumi again, likely for a kill shot from what I think. At that, my hands dart up in panic to push the gun out of line from hitting the Ultimate Maid. Maki hasn't shot the bullet, but she throws me a dark look at my interference.

"You can't or you'll be executed," I remind her with a croaky weak voice, watching as she scowls and seems to consider her actions.

Scanning my bloody face studiously, she eventually releases me and shoves me back onto the ground- hard enough that every part of my body complains when I hit it.

"You can go now too. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm protecting you because I'm nice...I still don't trust you. Go hide before the others get here and see you in this sorry state too. I'll let them know what happened when they get here," Maki says, making me glance at her gun and then back up at her. She looks like she wants to say something, but I cut her off as I climb up to my feet weakly.

"T-Tell them you confiscated the gun from me, okay? I'll confirm it later," I state, turning and stumbling off towards the opposite direction from the dormitories and the school instead. The others are more likely to come from those two places…

I'm gonna go to that stupid Kumasutra hotel to get cleaned up, there's probably a shower somewhere in there.

Nearly tripping several times, I eventually make it to the front of the hotel without bumping into anyone, allowing me to sigh in relief until I come to a slow when I see Monokuma standing at the front wearing what looks to be a bellman outfit.

"Welcome, welcome to our _first_ customer! Wow! You sure have seen better days!" Monokuma opens his big mouth to say, making me narrow my eyes at him.

"...I just need a shower and I don't need the others ogling me," I grumble, causing Monokuma to chortle in amusement.

"Puhuhu~! I'm sure you do! You're lucky, we don't normally just let anybody in unless they have the secret key, but since you won big at the lottery...I'll debit your account later and advance the key just for you! I've even left you a clean set of clothes up there and a first-aid kit! Aren't I a great bellman? Please visit Kumasutra Hotels dot com and give my service a good rating if you can! Here you go!"

He tosses me a thin gold chain with a pendant that has a red crystal embedded inside a heart shaped head of a key.

"Anyways! Thanks for a great show! I hope to see more of your capabilities, Miss Marble...don't disappoint me! Toodle-loo~!"

And just like that, Monokuma bounds away, leaving me with this gross bitter taste in my mouth- which isn't the copper flavor of blood filling my mouth either.

 _...I'll use cold water so I don't drift off now that I think about it. Kirumi made me hit my head pretty hard against the fountain. I don't want to fall asleep and end up not waking up._

With all that behind me, I step into the hotel and allow the doors to close behind me before I let the tears finally form and cleanse my eyes of it's pink and red tinting.

 _I really hate this place._

 ** _3.12 - The Golden Target_**


	42. 3:13 - The Hell Hotel

_**3.13 - The Hell Hotel**_

Even after entering the Kumasutra hotel, I can't help but feel as if Kirumi is still following behind me. I look over my shoulder several times before entering the main hall where the hall splits from two directions on either side of me and to a set of stairs ahead of me.

I'm not sure _which_ room Monokuma chose for me, up until someone jumps into the hall, leaping on the stairs in my line of sight.

Surprised and still feeling anxious from Kirumi chasing me and having to deal with Maki, I let out a shriek at the sudden movement and reel back a few steps until I lose my balance and fall back on my ass hard with a squeak that cuts my panic off long enough to realize...

It's just Monodam.

I feel the tension in my body ease up before noticing how Monodam appears slightly uncomfortable. Well, I guess it's not very surprising- I got scared of the quietest bear and totally screamed in his face...

A beat of awkwardness passes over us when I don't immediately say anything, mostly for the fact that I'm trying to quell the internal panic that wants to take over my system. Seems like panic has followed me from my tussle and near death experience.

Monodam patiently waits for me to compose myself, just like the time when he patiently waited for me to finish crying when it was his turn to escort me around to introduce myself to the others.

Once I find my spine, I let out a small apology and pull myself onto my feet with my bag of tools and blueprints. As soon as I'm up, Monodam looks up towards the stairs and then back at me as if signaling its importance. Before I can ask anything, Monodam is promptly bounding up the stairs and out of sight.

 _Well, I certainly appreciate his company over the other two kubs...not including Monokid, of course. Speaking of the kubs though, where did Monosuke even go? I don't remember seeing him after Kirumi came after me._

I don't have any answers to my questions, so I simply blow out a breath and start climbing the stairs. Even after a couple steps up, I become dizzy enough and out of breath to have to grab the stair rails and stop for a moment.

 _Calm down, you're safe now. Why are you still feeling so panicked?_

Standing still for too long evidently makes it easier for me to notice my accelerated heart-rate, so I force myself to push onwards despite exerting myself. Once I reach the second floor, I look to either hallway till I find Monodam in the right wing hallway. He's holding something, which he holds up to me as I walk on over to him and the door he's standing in front of.

When I take what he has, a white envelope with a green heart drawn on the back and my name crudely scribbled on as "Prairy", he almost immediately bounds away like lightning and out of sight. Looking around and deeming him gone, I eventually turn my curious gaze to the letter- which has something inside it- and gently open it by the front lip. Turning it over, what immediately falls out is a digital watch, half blue and half white with a clean digital screen and matching bear ears at the top to show which side of the screen reads to face you. It _almost_ looks like the monopad and padphanie from before, but it's a watch. So...a "kidwatch"?

 _Who cares what it's called- I get to see and keep track of the time again even though Monophanie said I wouldn't get that luxury again! HA!_

I slip the elastic wristband over my hand and press one of the side buttons, smiling as it lights up to display the time.

With that set up, I pull the crooked folded paper out of the envelope as well and open it up to read the large messy scrawl- one clearly written by an individual that has two paws rather than opposable thumbs.

 _"He doesn't bully me anymore,"_ it simply reads, along with a _"Thank you"_ scrawled further near the bottom.

Did I accidentally "corrupt" another monokub again?

...

 _Well, no matter. Hopefully with how well Monokid is doing to keep from getting on Monokuma's bad side, hopefully he gives Monodam pointers to stay safe too._

There's nothing else, save for a crude crayon drawing of me, Monokid, Monodam, and even Monotaro near the "thank you" at the bottom that makes my heart swell. It's like all the stress and panic finally escapes me in that moment, my shoulders easing up from my stiff straight posture.

Feels like I can breathe again. So long as I'm in here, Kirumi can't enter unless she buys the Kumasutra hotel key, right? I think that's what Monokuma implied.

I push open the door to the room after turning the key, only to feel my fight-or-flight kick in again when I see what the hotel room looks like on the inside- if only for a completely different reason than before.

There's a disturbingly "fetish-romantic" theme going on regarding the setup and decor of the room, coupled with a single large king sized bed and a demonic merry-go-round theme going by the two cutout horses that seem to be electronically operated as they circle the bed.

Upon initial glance at the two horses with scary demon-like faces that surround the bed, the first thing I understandably do is walk over to a switch setting I spot by the bedside and turn off what reads as "carousel mode". As soon as I flick the switch off, the cutout glow horses stop and promptly flip down against the floor, following the grooves of the track they ride along to retreat around the bed and behind the large heart-shaped headboard where they sit stationary and out of sight.

 _Thank god I can turn those things off, they're creepy._

As promised by Monokuma, there is a set of clothes, but when I give them a closer look and walk over to unravel it, my face hits a boiling temperature when I realize it's not clothing. Well, it's clothing, but it's the kind that hardly counts as proper "clothing".

Specifically, Monokuma has left me a set of electric red lingerie pieces, two identical full-body suits that are likely to leave little to the imagination if I were to put them on, and matching red semi-transparent stockings with little bows on them that go up to my upper thighs.

 _Like I'd put this on! I knew I should have expected Monokuma would do me dirty- that nasty lying bear...!_

Tossing the lingerie back on the bed with the second one, I look to see a red box with a white plus symbol on it. At least Monokuma left me the main thing I was desperately in need of- a first aid kit. Opening it up for a quick peek, I can see there's about everything I'd need to treat my injuries- and some ointments for my bruises as well. I could have used some of that medicine much earlier- especially after being thrown around so many times.

 _"Why is it that_ _you're_ _the most beat up out of all of us when the killing game hasn't even started yet?"_

I frown at Rantaro's words in my mind, closing the first aid kit and pulling my dirty clothes off. There's really no place to put them and I'm certainly not planning on putting them on again after I get cleaned off, so I simply discard them in the corner of the bathroom attached to the room when I enter it. The lights flicker on upon my entry, similar to the motion detecting light of the dark hallways underneath the killing game grounds.

As I turn on the water in the bathroom and step in, I immediately wince at the sharp sting of pain at my forehead when water spills over the open wound. Kirumi really managed to get me to hit it hard, jeez...is it still bleeding?

Turning to look back at the mirror across the shower before it really fogs up, my eyes catch sight of all the bruises and scabs across my body. I look like a beat up rag doll at this point- curls matted with knots and oily from lack of care, dried and wet streaks of blood sticking to my entire face, neck, and body...there's even bags under my eyes. All of that is just what's visible, none of my outward appearance hints at the degree of sluggish exhaustion I'm feeling at the moment.

Everything hurts- from my muscles down to my bones. Either way, I'm not a pretty sight at all.

 _Well, at least I'm still alive, so I might as well be grateful for that much. Things could have ended right at the fountain if I hadn't forced myself to proceed with my intuition despite being so worn out._

When I look back at my face, I can't help but feel a bit of shock at the expression on my reflection's face. It's still so odd to look back at a face I hardly recognize and see an expression I don't realize I'm making. Every time I do, I try not to notice how disconnected I feel from myself when I see who's looking back. It's hard to ignore though. I don't feel like myself. I don't feel like the person looking back is me- regardless of the whole "Perfect Blitz is dead and I'm Prairie Marble" confusion.

Maybe it's the amnesia. Maybe I'll never get used to it.

I look away from the mirror after a second, focusing on the shower and stepping in.

Once my shower is finished, I return to the room and take the first aid kit from the bed in my towel, walking over to the mirror near a seating area by the bed. It's a whole set up of small seats and a short block shaped table, one which I bypass to sit on one of the seats and set the kit on my lap.

Looking up at the big red cut on my left temple, I can't help but wince a bit. It still looks pretty bloody and it's been quite a while already. Hopefully a bit of treatment helps- even for what it is. Guess it won't take the headache away though, will it?

I apply medicine to my forehead before placing a gauze pad over it, a sharp pain reminding me that this won't be much help in the long run. Not to mention the bruise at my side is still a bold noticeable dark purple...and now my neck somewhat matches too with the blotchy blue-green ring of varying intensity around the circumference of my neck where Kirumi was trying to strangle me.

 _...I don't want to be spending the entire time here walking around in a towel..._

I look back at the bed and grit my teeth with a scowl. I'm gonna have to put one of those stupid things on, aren't I? Dang it, why didn't that stupid bear leave me _real_ clothes! I swear, they're completely pushing the fanservice, this is ridiculous!

 _Wear the comforter over it then, at least have something on under it- even as humiliating as that thing._

Reluctantly, I finish pulling on the pathetic lingerie Monokuma left me and throw the towel aside, grabbing the bed comforter and pulling it around me to cover my body.

When the door knob to my room wiggles as if someone's grabbed it, my heart lurches in my rib cage. There are no locks on this door, so I understandably dart around to the back of the bed's headboard where I can hide myself. If it's Kirumi and she has somehow managed to get the amount of coins necessary to enter the hotel...

My breathing picks up speed as I wait for the door to open and steel myself for another tussle...until I realize the knob has stopped turning. The door isn't opening either. Instead, I hear a few knocks on the door, following by the nervous voice of a familiar Ultimate Pervert.

"P-Prairie? It's Shuichi, are you in there?" I hear his voice drift into the room. Although I'm glad to hear that it's not Kirumi, I still hesitate to walk over to the door and open it to let him in. Eventually, I find my spine and climb up to my feet, quietly making my way over to the door and pulling the comforter tighter around my small figure.

 _Shuichi won't hurt me, right? He's...the most trustworthy from what I believe._

...I stop at the door.

 _But I thought the same of Kaede and Kirumi. I had faith in even_ _Miu_ _for helping me climb the cage wall with that magnetic apparatus. Haven't I been proven wrong enough times on what constitutes as trustworthy? I don't even know why I'm bothering anymore...I should just assume everyone wants me dead by default._

Despite my thoughts, I open the door and step aside to let Shuichi in- who has turned to maybe check another door before turning back around to see me.

"Oh! You're...!" He looks like he was about to say "okay", but his eyes evidently land on the mess of my forehead, which is the only visible injury at the moment since my neck is securely covered by the thick blanket. "So Kirumi really did try to kill you...are you alright? Did she do anything else? Do you need any medicine or extra bandages?"

I sigh, releasing the door knob and turning to walk back to the bed to take a seat. Shuichi enters and shuts the door behind himself, casting the bed a nervous glance before sitting next to me carefully. He kinda looks like a sheep that's wandered into a wolf's den...

 _Jeez,_ _I_ _didn't pick how the room would look and it's not like I'm going to jump him like a lovesick puppy. I'm not the pervert of us two._

"Relax. It's just a bed. Trust me, _nothing_ would ever happen between you and me. You have the face of a dead frog," I say, hearing Shuichi sputter in embarrassment at my frank tone before turning towards the mirror in the room with curious horror.

 _He doesn't actually believe me does he? Aren't detectives supposed to be a little less gullible?_

"I'm lying, don't worry about it. You're good looking, I just don't want you to sit here all stiff like you were. Even if I _did_ want to, I'm too tired for anything like that," I come clean to ease his nerves, noting how Shuichi relaxes and has the decency to look a bit guilty.

"Sorry, that's...not important right now, you're right. As far as we know, we heard from Maki that she caught Kirumi chasing you around. What happened? And where were you all this time anyways?" He asks, making me shrug before thinking about the dark halls beneath the school.

What in the world was the purpose of that whole system of office rooms under the killing game grounds? What happened down there and where did everyone go? Furthermore...why didn't Monokuma seal it off to begin with? He had to know it was down there, right? He had to know where I was, even _Monosuke_ has been going down there! It just doesn't make sense that Monokuma wouldn't know about it, he watches those bears as much as he watches those of us involved with the killing game.

"I went beneath the school, but there's no way out. Just old halls and broken decrepit computer rooms that have been abandoned for what looks to be years..." I elaborate, looking down and playing with the fibers of the comforter as a method of distraction. I miss my ultimate outfit. It feels like forever since I've worn it around and considering all the cosplay trash Tsumugi has tricked me into wearing, it's a miracle I almost _prefer_ that orange rib cage revealing suit now. If anything, I'm even starting to like it now. "Going down there was a waste of time."

 _That's another lie. You just don't want to tell him you removed Monosuke's bomb because you're scared of him mistrusting you and turning against you._

"How did you get back up though? I mean..." Shuichi pauses, giving me a closer look as I turn his way. "You look exhausted, do you want me to come back later? I mean, if you need to sleep after all that has happened, I totally understand."

My heart leaps at the thought. I don't want to be left alone yet, but I don't want him to think I'm scared of being left alone.

Even though I am.

I shake my head vehemently, enough that it even starts to ache to the movement when I stand up and pace. That's right, I hit my head really hard- I couldn't go to sleep yet even if I'd have wanted to. I can relay the concussion concerns to Shuichi so he stays a longer.

"No no no, sleep is a bad idea. I can't really remember how I got back up since I was blacking out and Monosuke was leading me along during a series of dizzy spells, but I remember an elevator while I was on the way out," I explain thoughtfully, pointing at the gauze pad under my forehead as I face him. "I came out in the garden with the fountain in front of me, so..."

Thinking a little and using my head to map out the garden and sighing when the memory refuses to click properly.

"It's definitely somewhere in there, I at least know that. Kirumi gave me the forehead wound by tackling me into the fountain and slamming my head against the edge. I'm not sure if I can get a concussion like that, but I don't want to fall asleep and not wake up. Having you here to talk to definitely helps, so...feel free to stay for a bit. Just please don't try to kill me."

Shuichi looks mortified, but even more so by the last part of my statement. When he opens his mouth, probably to deny the idea altogether, he evidently and wisely shuts his mouth moments after. Guess he's realized I'm still bound to be scared and nervous regardless of whether he denies it or not.

"Um, who knows about what happened then? How are Rantaro and the others?" I ask, causing Shuichi to chuckle awkwardly as a smile reaches his features.

"Yeah, pretty much everyone is aware you're alive now. Rantaro in particular is not happy about what he heard. As we speak, he's in the casino right now trying to win casino coins like crazy," he says, making me scowl and cock my head to the side in confusion before recalling Monokuma's words earlier. I pull the key up from the necklace I have on under the blankets, showing it to Shuichi.

"He's trying to win one of the keys, right?" I ask, making Shuichi pull out the same key fro under his own button up with a nod. "Monokuma said he would debit my win from that time I hit two jackpots before, but...how much are these things anyways? How many coins will Rantaro need to win to get one?"

"Ah...ten thousand coins," Shuichi answers, making me frown. It sounds like a lot... "The casino's output for coins is low and the takeaway tends to be larger, so...it may take a bit of time. Some of the others are trying to help him win enough coins though. At the moment, I'm the only other student with a key here, as far as I'm aware. I doubt Kirumi will be entering to try and win casino coins either, considering the fact everyone is now wary of her based on her actions against you."

I look at his hotel key before feeling my cheeks begin to get warm when I think of something. Admittedly I'm not really dressed properly for meeting with him, but...

I want to see Rantaro.

"Shuichi, do you think...would you be willing to lend your key to Rantaro for a little bit? Just so I could see him?" I ask, watching Shuichi sigh as he puts the key back down under his shirt.

"See, that was the first plan we came up with. Monokuma said only students with the "love suite" key could enter the hotel, but...when Rantaro asked me to borrow mine to see you, Monokuma popped up and vetoed it. He said he'd even confiscate mine if I tried to lend it to Rantaro."

I huff in annoyance, puffing up my cheeks and scowling at the door pointedly. Stupid Monokuma...

"Prairie, are you sure you want to stay here? You kind of sound like you don't want to leave," Shuichi states before looking around the room. "I mean...this isn't a normal hotel room. It's pretty weird looking."

Looking around, I have to admit he's right. This isn't the best of atmospheres for a room, but...

"Kirumi...or anyone else for that matter can't come up here without their own hotel key. I feel safer here than in my own room and I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm scared," I explain, evidently causing a look of understanding to cross Shuichi's features. "I want to see Rantaro, but I don't want to leave this hotel if it's currently the safest place I can be right now. I'm pretty sure Kirumi is willing to try again at killing me, I mean, if she was willing to give it two chances, then-"

"A _second_ time? S-She's tried to kill you before already?!" Shuichi asks incredulously, prompting me to nod in confirmation. Just thinking about what happened before I was exploring the office and hallways underground...it makes my throat and mouth ache a little at the painful memory.

"Just before I left the killing game, she prepared me food in the dining hall before I went into the warehouse and before I ran into you and Kokichi. Well, I think she put something in the food and I ate the whole thing without noticing anything wrong. While I was gone, I got really sick. I was sick enough to get knocked out for two of the days I was gone- and it wasn't just a minor stomach ache either. I'm talking about vomiting, a swollen throat, difficulty breathing, and awful burning in my mouth, throat and stomach," I state, looking down at the comforter around me and playing with more of the fibers as I clutch it tighter against me. Shuichi visibly shrinks back at the corner of my eye. "...I thought I was going to die alone down there."

"God, that's awful...well, I'm glad you're still alive. And I'm sure Rantaro and Tenko would say the same thing. I can't imagine how bad that must have been. Do you know what she put in your food?" Shuichi asks, making me shake my head.

Beats me, I sure didn't see her putting the dish together. I had been dancing around trying to mimic her graceful movements like an oblivious idiot.

"...God, Kirumi though. I can't believe it. And we let her go into all of our rooms, we let her wash our laundry, we let her _feed_ us...she's in the perfect position to take advantage of any one of us."

 _Thankfully I only had one key made for my room, so I couldn't have lent her one even if I wanted to. I guess that's nice and all in the fact that I might be safe in my own room, I don't want to risk making my way from the hotel all the way to the school only to run into Kirumi- or even_ _someone else_ _that decides they don't want to deal with me._

But besides that, everyone else let her into their rooms? That's not a comforting thought, especially now that she's outed herself as a candidate to murder someone. What if she decides to call it quits on murdering me and instead decides to sneakily murder someone else? I know I'm the perfect opportunity "golden target", but...she can still change her mind. We're likely to suspect herfirst in comparison to any other person if a murder were to occur, sure, but it's up to her whether she still wants to preserve the lives of the other students by killing me.

After all, she doesn't owe the others any mercy- if she still _has_ any mercy for them left after Maki stepped in and decided to foil her plans. Why did Maki decide to defend me anyhow?

Does she harbor some doubts despite the things she said before about me?

"Oh, that reminds me, Rantaro sent you something," Shuichi snaps out of his own passive moment of quiet contemplation to say, turning and pulling something out from a bag I only then notice he's carrying over his shoulder on his other side. Almost immediately as he unzips it, a pleasant smell of food hits my nose and I perk up when I see him pulling containers out- including a sealed bowl of soup, two water bottles, some baked fish in another container, and another container of assorted fruits. I can see some juicy nectarine slices among the chopped fruit... "He had to stop gambling to make all this since he didn't trust anyone else to. After everything you've been through, you definitely need to recover your strength, so as much as he wanted to see you, he chose to prioritize feeding you before getting back to gambling for casino coins."

 _Ah...now I kind of feel bad. Maybe I should leave the hotel just to see him? I mean, I can ask Shuichi to escort me, right?_

 _..._

 _Then again, my "clothes" (if we can even call them that) are even_ _more_ _inappropriate than my stupid pajamas. I can't just leave like this! He'll just end up scolding me!_

He might be more worried about other things.

 _No, he's made it a habit to point out when I'm wearing something or doing something wrong. He's still an overprotective wannabe-big-brother figure, there's no way that part about him changed during the three days I've been away from him._

"Um, Prairie...I don't mean to be rude or change the subject abruptly, but...why are you wearing that comforter anyhow?" Shuichi timidly asks, even though I have the blankets wrapped tightly around me. Considering how petite I am, the comforter practically swallows me whole.

"Monokuma said he left me clean clothes. Technically he did. I won't say anything more...but now that you mention it, you should give me your shirt," I boldly suggest, looking to Shuichi directly so he can't help but break eye contact momentarily with a nervous laugh. Is that a "no"?

"Anyways, that aside...some of the others are worried that your inconsistent diet is a relapse from the time you were Perfect Blitz, by the way. Rantaro was mostly unaware it was an issue, but it helped in his decision to send you food as soon as he could. I hope that doesn't bother you..." The Ultimate Detective continues, making me frown in confusion. A "relapse"? Of what?

... _Did I use_ _drugs_ _as Perfect Blitz?! Don't tell me that's somehow the reason Miu was looking for LSD in the warehouse when I first met her!_

My look of horror seems to alarm Shuichi, enough that he seems to make the connection of what I'm likely assuming.

"N-No! I'm sorry, not a relapse of _drugs_ or anything, don't worry! You never advocated drugs or alcohol, I promise. I meant a relapse of your eating disorder...you've had a history of frequently skipping meals- to the point of making yourself sick and sometimes going two or more days without food or on very minimal snacks. I mean, I'm sure that's nothing for cause of alarm now though, you probably have been keeping your diet in check, right?"

"Right. Absolutely," I lie, clutching the comforter tighter around me as Shuichi's trusting expression instantly twists to that of disbelief and concern. He didn't buy what I was selling- shoot. "Don't tell Rantaro."

Feeling my stomach grumble as the smell of the food gets to me, I take the bag Shuichi has and pull it open to fish out some cutlery I was hoping to find. When I look to the containers of food though, something evidently occurs to me. I really want to swallow that food down in one go. Heck, even the tupperware too. I'm prepared to chuck it all down my belly- to think Rantaro specifically went out of his way to make me this...

My heart flutters, but I quell the feeling immediately. Sure, it's touching, but Shuichi is still here and now that I think about it, I don't want to be rude and just go eating it in front of hi-

"By the way, feel free to eat now if you want, I already ate earlier and I'm sure-"

At Shuichi's prompting, I grab the container of baked fish and practically rip the lid off, digging my pink rabbit-decal chopsticks into it like a ravenous animal. It flakes and bites of it are popped into my mouth one after another. By the time I'm opening one of the water bottles, the fish is completely gone and the container is closed so I can move to the next course.

"By the way, do you need anything from your room? I can go grab you some things if you're really gonna stay here, I'd just need you room key...feel free to say no though, I know that might be too much all things considered."

As I stuff the empty container back in the bag Shuichi brought and set aside my chopsticks on a napkin atop it, I eventually turn to face the Ultimate Detective again.

"Not necessarily, no, but...can I _please_ have your shirt? For real?"

Shuichi blinks- and when he seems to notice how intense my stare on him is, he starts to stand up slowly with a hint of strained casualness that doesn't go by unnoticed as I also stand up with him. He swallows thickly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"W-Why do you need my shirt if I'm leaving anyways?" The uncertainty of his tone is obvious.

"I don't have any clean clothes in my room at the moment, everything is dirty. Unlike you guys, I only had one room key, and Kirumi was banned from taking care of my laundry. I was also lazy though and I didn't wash the first set properly when I attempted it prior to opening the Ultimate Maid's lab, so some pieces of what I have are crusty and need to be rewashed properly. What I _do_ have on under this blanket is really the only clean thing I have at the moment," I explain, watching as Shuichi's body language adjusts to better prepare himself to bolt for the room exit. Going by his expression, he isn't likely to cooperate despite my situation. "I hope you know I'm not planning on letting you leave without donating your shirt to me..."

"Prairie, i-if I leave without my shirt, the others will ask questions. They might get the wrong idea and-" he's cut off when I reach back and throw a large pillow at his face in time as the blankets fall to my feet. With him blinded, I tackle him to the floor and press the pillow against his face, making sure his face is turned to the side where he can still breathe but can't see me. He lets out a complaint of shock from under the pillow, struggling even as I hold him down.

"Stay still and don't touch me! I can't have that clumsy oaf coming up here to find me in this trashy thing if he manages to luck out! Be a little considerate, I'm not asking because I just _want_ to wear your stupid shirt out of the blue!" I complain, eventually feeling Shuichi relax and sigh in reluctant resignation as I unbutton his top so he's left in a black tank. "Psh, you're whining for nothing, you even have something on under it. What happened to sharing is caring?"

Once it's off of him, I pull the button up over myself. It's not very long, even for a petite girl like me, so I have to help Shuichi up while keeping him turned around so he can't look my way.

"No looking. If you manage to get me clothes from one of the other girls, that'd be great, but for now this will suffice I guess. There's some things I'd like to tell you about while I was away, but...I need to reorganize my thoughts. I think I can explain when you come back though, I doubt it will take you long to get me proper clothes," I say, unable to resist looking around for Monokuma at that point.

He doesn't appear to care much about what I'm saying, even though I've basically stated I'm planning on telling Shuichi something- even if it _is_ just in the planning stage. Does he not care? Or does he find me trying to open my mouth a sign of continued rebellion towards the killing game interesting? Is rebellion really that amusing for him?

 _Or is this another breadcrumb trail set up for me to experience failure?_

...

 _I'll need to think more on the matter and of the information I can give Shuichi in that case._

What about Rantaro?

My stomach twists anxiously. I don't think I should tell him...as much as I miss him and want to see him, unfortunately Monokuma was right about one thing: I don't trust Rantaro. Maybe not for the same reasons as Monokuma had claimed, but nonetheless I don't trust him. I can't be sure he won't try to still stop me from doing things. Unless I can be sure that he'll pursue my own endeavors, this is how it'll stay.

 _What happened to giving up? Quitting on all this meaningless battle with Monokuma and kicking back? Does this mean you aren't done yet?_

...No, I'm done. I refuse to do this to myself, it doesn't matter what Rantaro does or doesn't know, I just want to be around him and forget about everything else wrong with this place. At least I'll get to enjoy my time with him here for as long as it's permitted. No more fighting, no more arguments, no more discourse. Besides...he'd have to leave if we escaped, right? He'll leave me and go back to his sisters, won't he?

I'll be all alone in the end.

 _That's toxic._

I know. But I can't help it, and it's useless fighting it anyways.

Trying to get us out has only resulted in more pain and tragedy on my part- Rantaro was right pointing out just how damaged I am compared to the others. It's discouraging...and as toxic as it may be, Rantaro and company are honestly my only silver lining here.

Well.

Except for _that_ cow...

"Tsumugi Shirogane..." I say out loud, only realizing I've let her name slip out from my lips when I hear my own voice in the silence between Shuichi and I. My stomach drops when I remember Shuichi is still here in the room with me, able to hear even the slightest of murmurs from my lips. What's he going to think if I've just randomly name dropped the cow out of the blue?! "I-"

"Ah, that's right! Tsumugi was making cosplays for you to test out, I can bring you something she's made. You'll return my shirt if I bring you clothes, right? Shuichi asks, turning to face me hopefully.

 _Right, we were talking about clothing last! Phew, yeah, I'll just go with that! ...What's this nutjob worried about though, doesn't he have five other pairs of shirts the exact same as this? Does it really matter whether I return it or not?_

"Sure. If she has something decent and modest, I'll give your shirt right back and-" I cut myself off when I realize he's staring at me. Almost immediately upon processing the look of alarm across his features that are slowly tinting a red shade from under his skin, my temper snaps.

He's looking at me.

Good thing Rantaro's not here yet.

"I SAID DON'T LOOK, YOU IDIOT!"

"GAH! I'M SOR-?!"

* * *

About an hour after I've sent Shuichi away with a pretty red hand print on his face, I find myself curled up under the comforter on the bed- relaxing as I wait. It's taking this dude a while to bring me clothes. I expected maybe a thirty minute wait maximum, but not an hour...did something happen?

 _The only way to find out if something's wrong is by leaving the hotel and seeing for yourself._

Not happening.

 _What if Tsumugi did something to them now that you know her identity as the mastermind of the killing game?_

...

I groan and flip over, peeking my head out from under the blankets. There's no more food because I ate it all, and I'm tired. Maybe laying in bed isn't the greatest of ideas if I don't want to fall asleep yet...

Pushing out of the comforter to the point that I'm practically digging myself out, I eventually get back up on my feet and start walking around the room to keep myself active.

...But seriously, what is that boy doing?!

"Bing-bong, Ding-dong~! Iiiit's Monokuma here!"

I jump and turn, feeling my heart skip a beat when I see Monokuma and feel the sudden urge to snatch up the comforter to cover myself. Wait, it's just a stupid bear though, right? I hardly think that bear would be concerned about my state of dress at all...

Still, I edge around the bed and hide half behind the headboard of the bed, eyeing the cackling black and white bear as he sees me.

"Oh? What's wrong, Miss Marble? You don't like the outfit I left for you?" He asks, much to my irritation as I claw my nails into the headboard with rising anger. This monster knows _exactly_ why I'm upset.

"You call this an 'outfit'?! I look like a hooker and Shuichi saw me like this! Why didn't you leave me _real_ clothes?!" I demand heatedly, watching as the bear rubs his belly with a big grin.

"Because we've gotta please _that_ corner of the fans somehow! What better way than to whore out the cute fiery tsundere to everyone's eyes?" Monokuma openly admits to my shock. Oh, so he's gonna just go out and say it now? He knows I know?

"...So then hundreds of people really are watching us..." I mutter to myself, feeling heat crawl up my neck at the thought.

...

After a second, I swallow down my pride and stand up. Once I step out from behind the headboard of the bed, I feel my nerves somewhat settle down. There's no point hiding when everyone and their mother can see me then. I'm screwed either way.

"What do you want anyways?" I ask, making Monokuma. "Surely you're not here just to humiliate me, are you?"

"No, no! I almost forgot there are no speakers here, so I came to relay the message...it is now ten p.m.! Or at least it hit ten p.m. about forty minutes ago! Which means the dining hall and gymnasium are now closed! In extension, as you are our first patron, that rule applies to this hotel too! You may check out whenever you'd like, however we will not be accepting anymore hotel guests for the night. Visitors are welcome though! Let the operations of the special events commence!" Monokuma announces, before abruptly bounding away and out of the room with a slam of the door before I can go and question his words.

 _"Special operations"? What did he mean by that?_

My eyes dart around the room curiously before I find myself digging around every hiding place, searching every nook and cranny until I'm comfortable enough to say I'm completely alone now. No one else is hiding in here, it seems...

 _He said no more guests will be accepted, but visitors may still enter...so what's taking Shuichi Slow-hara so long to come back with clothes then?! What if Rantaro's dumb butt gets here before he does with my clothes?!_

I crawl back on the bed when pacing around eventually begins to tire me out, hiding under the covers.

I'm not supposed to have fallen asleep, but the drowsiness evidently wins out and I fall into what I consider as being half-asleep.

I don't feel rested at all when I hear the door shut suddenly, making me bolt awake and panic when I find myself in complete darkness. I left the room light on, didn't I?!

 _Dummy, you're under the covers._

Remembering where I am and slowly coming out of the hazy dreamscape, I dig myself out of the covers and jump off the bed, only to feel my nerves relax when I find myself in the familiar red and pink hotel room. The lights are indeed on, just like I left them. The first aid kit is where I left it on the sitting area by the mirror to the left of the bed, and my dirty clothes are still on the floor next to the bed where I discarded them.

And Kaito is...

Kaito is...?

"K-Kaito?!" I squeak, horrified when I see him suddenly grin brightly my way, as if this is the most normal situation ever.

 _What am I wearing?!_

Looking down at myself, I grab the hem of Shuichi's shirt and try to tug it down lower along my thighs, but alas, my strawberry shaped birthmark and most of my thighs are still on full display despite my efforts.

Before I can tell him to look away, he barks out a laugh and I flinch in surprise.

"I'm surprised you didn't run off with your tail between your legs!" Kaito says, making me blink in confusion and let out a puzzled _"hah?"_ of bewilderment. Run off...? What's he talking about?

...If he heard about the Kirumi thing, I _did_ run, so no matter which way I look at it, that still doesn't make sense...unless he's talking about me running considering the state of dress I'm in right now?

I open my mouth to say something, but Kaito is already answering my noise of confusion once again.

"We've each got ninety-nine wins now...so this'll decide the true winner," he claims, much to my further confusion. Wins? The true winner? "Now, let's _end_ this!"

His raised voice makes me jump again.

"Kaito, what are you-?" I ask, just as he begins to approach me. Horrified, I backtrack a couple of steps, hitting the edge of the heart shaped headboard of the bed in my retreat. As soon as I do, he stops his advances to grin wider. "When did you- no, _how_ did you-?"

"Ah, so you _are_ a little scared of what I'm capable of! Ahaha, well, you know what they say! A little bit of the nerves is always a healthy sign!" Kaito steamrolls right over my words, causing my features to twist in anxiety. Is Kaito...delusional? Like for real?

"Kaito-" I try to speak up, only for the tall magenta haired teen to cut me off yet again. It's a bit irritating, but maybe he'll say something to clear my confusion, so I don't argue against it.

"The first time we met...it was in the sky..." Kaito seems to reminisce, completely oblivious to the face I'm making as I listen to him wide-eyed. "I'm Kaito Momota! Luminary of the Stars! I decided that before I enter the vast universe, I'd conquer the blue sky...and _there you were!"_

This man is on a whole 'nother planet...! We met in the killing game, what's he going on about with the sky? ...Who the heck does he think I am?!

"Y-You mean someone else, I'm-" I try to say, before he's chuckling to himself. I stop speaking, wondering what he'll say next.

"We didn't even know each other's names during our first airplane race!"

 _Airplane race?! I can't fly a plane! ...or can I? Wait, what if Kaito is coming clean about something here? What if he's saying he knew me before when I was Perfect Blitz? Is that why he won't let me speak then? He wants to get it all out right now?_

"It was the beginning of a heated battle over who was the fastest and coolest! But..." he pauses, laughing to himself, "I never dreamed our battle would last this long."

...

Something about this still doesn't feel right.

"Let me get this straight. So we've both won air races ninety-nine times each. We're...pilots. And we're up for one last air race, but-" I start to reiterate just to make sure I'm understanding things correctly, but Kaito just cuts me off again before I can mention how one, there are no planes here, and two, why is acting as if we're just picking up wherever we may or may not have left off.

"This is pretty much it. There's no more extra innings, you got it?"

No. No I don't _"got it",_ I still have no idea what the heck he's talking about.

"Yeah...this is it...honestly, I feel like it's a bit of a waste to put an end to our fight. I wish these days could last forever, y'know?"

"...I mean, I like a challenge as much as anybody else, but-" When Kaito cuts me off, I roll my eyes and throw up my arms in frustration. Can he just... _shut up for a moment?_

"It's like even though we're rivals, our hearts are one. I like that. But...one way or another, this has gotta come to an end," Kaito states, looking more or less unconcerned about the annoyance clearly depicted across my features. "This sky we flew through together wasn't so bad...but my true destiny's the universe!

Do I punch him and kick him out now? Or later? Now I know why I don't actively seek to talk to him much, he's even weirder than the other ultimates.

"...Right," I simply answer, well aware of my dry tone. Only then does Kaito seem to notice something off, frowning slightly as he gives my face a closer look. I'll give him some props for looking at my face at least, considering the fact my legs are on full display.

"What's up with you? Where's your fire, Prairie?" Kaito asks, causing my nerves to strum a little like the chords of a guitar. That's the first he's used my name since I first woke up to him in my room...so he's definitely aware he's talking to _me_ then, right? "This is gonna be our final race. Come at me with everything you've got!"

"Kaito...I don't think-"

"No, _you_ don't get it!"

I flinch violently and let out a sharp squeak when he suddenly advances even closer, my back pressed against the headboard as he towers over my much smaller form. My fire has doused a little at the shock, and all I can do is stare up at him like a cornered mouse. Like this...I can see he's even taller than _Rantaro...!_ But furthermore, what is he doing? Why is he leaning down closer towards me?!

"Are you really gonna go into our final race like _that?"_ He demands with a shout, slamming his palm hard against the back of the headboard near my head. As if instinctual, all my nerves and muscles tense up suddenly.

That's the ticket.

Without remorse or any more hesitation on my part, my hand balls up in a fist and I deliver the hardest uppercut I can possibly muster with my eyes wide open. My knuckles brace as it makes contact under his chin, sending his face snapping up towards the ceiling in bewildered confusion as I then move in closer to grab his wrists and pull back my leg.

This is about the closest I'll ever get to giving this asshole a hug, one that results in my knee jamming up lightning fast between his legs where it counts the most. It's something I've thought about doing to Kokichi once or twice.

Kaito's breath hitches and his expression twitches into one of sheer pain. Good to know it works well even with tall guys!

"You...you think you can just waltz in here and freaking _kabe don_ me? After coming up with some crazy stupid fantasy or something- _whatever_ this was?! Have you ever heard of 'personal space'?!" I yell, watching him fall back and curl up on the ground to clutch at his groin with a moan of pain. "Kaito Momota, if you EVER get that close to me again, I'm gonna castrate you like a pig, you hear me?! I'm sleeping in a different room, don't bother coming to apologize, you jerk!"

I snatch up the first aid kit and my dirty bag of monokub blueprints and tools, storming to the exit and throwing open the door to enter the hall. It isn't until I've opened one of the other doors and look around to make sure I'm alone that I drop the bag of things and lean back against the door with my hands pressed into my face.

 _Did that really happen? Why was Kaito acting so strange and what was he talking about? Why did he suddenly cage me beside the bed? What was he planning to do? Did he really think I'd accept that kind of behavior?!_

"Wow, that was incredible! He'll sure feel THAT in the morning!"

I yelp and yank my hands off of my face, only to see Monokuma jumping up and down on the bed with a friendly wave. The room looks exactly as the one I just left, save for the fact everything is neatly organized and no one has slept in the bed or left dirty clothes lying around.

Never mind that though...!

"What do you want _now?"_ I snap, not really in the best of moods to be dealing with Monokuma after what just happened with Kaito. The _closet_ pervert. "As much as I love our meetings, the sight of you still makes me sick."

"So how did you like the special Love Suite Event? I'll be honest, I was wondering who would show up now that we've had our first patron here! I mean, the _other_ guy wasn't interested in staying, that's for sure..."

"'Love Suite Event'? What are you saying? Explain. _Now,"_ I demand, making Monokuma laugh to himself.

"Puhuhu~ so you're interested now? Okay, sure! Listen up then! Hotel Kumasutra, and in our many rooms you may experience an intimate scene with one of your living peers at random. You, Miss Marble, are a 'guest' staying at the hotel since you entered with the Love Suite key before ten p.m. to stay the night. Kaito Momota is the random 'visitor' who's heart you so cruelly decided to break...among other things!"

 _Is that what he meant before? About the hotel being closed to "guests" and open to "visitors"? As in these were not normal circumstances?_

"What are you talking about? I broke Kaito's heart...?! He hardly knows me! He was talking like he was coo-coo over there, he'll get over a sudden crush- if that's what you want to call whatever _that_ was!" I state, making the bear cross his arms over his belly and shake his head.

"You poor poor misguided young lady. Visitors that enter the hotel arrive in a dream-like state and they perceive the guest and their identity as their essential 'ideal'. You, as the guest, are to figure out your own role as perceived by the visitor and play your role successfully, or the visitor will take it as a bad dream and wake up the next morning feeling absolutely horrible! The _worst,_ I tell you! Alas, that is what you have dropped onto that poor hopeless romantic, Kaito Momota...he had no intention of sexual deviancy towards you. I think you think too highly of yourself, Miss Marble, you're not exactly sexually enticing," Monokuma states, much to my irritation. Considering how he and Tsumugi love to corner me into wearing the raunchiest garbage they can make or find, I just ignore that last quip and focus on the real issue at hand.

"So...Kaito's going to wake up feeling awful and thinking it was a nightmare? How does that even work, he looked like he was aware and wide awake! I mean, I get he was talking hokey and stuff, but..." I press, only for Monokuma to stop jumping on my bed and wave a paw my way.

"Believe me, Miss Marble, visitors all _forget_ the scene of these visits entirely after they leave- just as your friend is doing now! During the scene, they completely believe the crazy fantasies they summon, even those ones as wacky as being pilots having ninety-nine races in the sky! Boy, that one really is out of this world, isn't it?" Monokuma laughs a little, right before looking straight at me. "Lucky for you, _you_ get to spend the rest of your life thinking about how you shattered Kaito Momota's ball sack and punched him in the face! AHAHAHA!"

And just like that, Monokuma bounds away, leaving me standing by the door flabbergasted with red cheeks of embarrassment, rage, and horror.

...

...

 _Just what kind of a hotel_ _is_ _this?!_

 ** _End of 3.13 - The Hell Hotel_**


	43. 3:14 - A Rat's Pride

_**3.14 - A Rat's Pride**_

By the time my new watch has indicated that it's nine a.m. in the morning- all the while I've forced myself to stay awake- Shuichi remains a no-show. From what I reckon, he must have been barred entry from the hotel yesterday night since 'guests' and 'visitors' have very strict definitions tied to the special Love Suite event Monokuma explained went on in the hotel at night.

If that's the issue though, where is Shuichi now that it's morning? The hotel is in its open hours again, he should be here already.

Hours pass of me trying to keep myself entertained. I run around the room dragging around the comforter of the bed like a grand cape, I spin around in it until I feel sick and regret it- and Shuichi still doesn't show up. Heck, other than Monodam, even the monokubs haven't visited me either. It's pretty much a me, myself, and I party in this hotel room.

Sometime during that time, twelve p.m., is when I begin to feel the symptoms of sleep start to weigh down on me.

 _How long am I supposed to stay awake anyways? Do I keep fighting it, or can I close my eyes? What do I do?_

I make a noise of frustration and start running around the room again.

By two p.m., my stomach is furiously growling and I'm once again laying on the bed far back enough that I'm half slouching towards the ground with my torso hanging over the edge of the bed.

No Shuichi, no food sent up courtesy of Rantaro, and no sign of receiving decent clothing.

Thinking his lack of arrival is because I've switched rooms, I even make a note attached to my old room door with a message to direct the slowpoke detective to the right room. Unfortunately, more time with my grumbling tummy passes...still no Shuichi.

 _Is he mad at me for taking his shirt? Or for slapping him after he looked at me even though I specifically asked him NOT to look?...I refuse to apologize for any of that, I'm horribly dressed and Shuichi didn't even hesitate to look down at what I had on under his shirt!_

Sometime in my groveling for Rantaro and his cooking, as well as worrying over Shuichi's safety among other things, I eventually fall asleep despite my worries.

 _...What time is it?_

I sit up, once again completely stuck in pitch black darkness until I dig myself out from under the covers and blink away the sting as light hits my retinas. With a yawn, I rub my eyes and feel my heart jump slightly when I hear the sound of a door closing in my momentary blindness.

 _Relax, Shuichi is the only one that has access to the place._

"Jeez, took you long enough, Slowhara, for a while there I thought-" I say, finally clearing my vision enough to look towards him at the door and cut myself off.

...

... _No._

"Eh?" Kokichi cocks his head to the side curiously, blinking a pair of innocent violet eyes my way with a clueless edge that has my gut churning anxiously.

My expression is a strained one as I slowly lift my right wrist up to look at the time.

It's MIDNIGHT. Instead of Shuichi coming back with food, "visitor" hours have started and I had the misfortune of getting freaking _Rat Face!_

 _What if he came and the note fell, so he had no idea I was in this room? What if one of the monokubs like Monosuke or Monophanie took it off to spite me?_

"Prairie-" Kokichi starts as he takes a step into his room, just as I'm getting on my feet to head for the door.

"Uh, hold on, I-I just need a minute to check on...yeah..." I stammer my way out of the encounter for the moment, briskly moving past him until I hear Kokichi let out a disappointed sigh that makes me stop dead in my tracks.

"I knew it," he says, causing me to turn my head curiously at just how... _sad_ he sounds. I know I should be wary since he's a professional pretender, but...when he turns again, his expression is solemn. "Prairie..."

 _Wow, he's calling me by my actual name and not "Prairie Dog"._

"...Knew what?" I ask, now more than curious at what Kokichi's getting at. He's fantasizing this, so...maybe it'll give me a better look into his character. I'm not sure how it's happening, this "they appear as if they're in a hazy dream" thing still sounds really sketchy. Whatever though, I'm not gonna be able to figure out how that works here in this place- and certainly not with Rat Face around.

Kokichi doesn't look like he wants to answer me, but eventually after playing with one of his unruly locks, he meets my gaze directly.

"You don't love me anymore, do you?"

Just hearing him say that has me so taken aback that I can't help but turn away to press my forehead hard against the door. I probably look like I'm trying to phase right through it, and I won't doubt that it's something I wish I could do.

 _Ugh, do I have to? Can't I just...run away and let this rat succumb to a nightmare? I don't think the stress I'll get out of playing his "ideal" is worth the trouble. Kokichi can take it, he's a big boy._

"I mean...you're leaving again. Every time I try to talk to you, you say you have to go do something else. Anyone can see it's a lie," he continues, rubbing his arm and averting his gaze after a moment. He looks so...sad. Come to think of it, I've never seen him legitimately sad. He never looks concerned by anything at all, but now his brows are knit together and his lips are twisted with hurt.

I'm not even sure what to say to him. Everything inside me wants to scream out that he's dreaming, but if I did that, he'd wake up feeling awful...I want to _not_ care, but I still feel pretty bad for Kaito from the night before.

And yet...

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't lo...luuh..." I'm sweating just trying to get the words out, as if someone from afar is judging me or laughing at me for the situation I'm stuck in. Considering this is a broadcast to a thousand people outside of the killing game...that's probably the case. "Luuuh..."

"See, you can't even say it to me anymore. You sound like you swallowed a frog-" he says to my horror, causing a momentary fleck of annoyance to cross my features before I remember the situation. Right, this is his fantasy. Getting mad at him will only make him feel bad. "If you want to leave, then fine."

Kokichi turns away, crossing his arms and turning his back as if he doesn't want to watch me go.

 _If I leave like this, he will definitely take this as a nightmare and wake up feeling awful._

Swallowing down my pride, I wrap my arms around him despite my cells shriveling up into nothingness one after another by the act.

"I-I'm not leaving," I start off with, feeling a wave of heat rush across my face when his hands rest over my own. "I didn't mean to make you feel unloved or unwanted."

 _...God, this is so weird. I don't think I'd be able to live this down if he was actually conscious._

Kokichi reaches up, pulling my arms closer over his chest so I'm half-leaned into his back. It makes me uncomfortable.

"If you really mean that, then say it. Tell me you love me," Kokichi simply asks, causing a familiar fluttering sensation in my chest that I quickly stifle in embarrassment.

 _Why me?_

"I...I love you," I respond, feeling a warmer wave of heat roll over my face with intense embarrassment. Calm down, me, he won't remember any of this. I'll be taking what happens here down to my grave.

"Hmm...but how do I know you mean _me_ specifically? What if you're only able to say that because you're thinking of someone else rather than a nuisance like me?"

Kokichi's really pushing it...rat. Just what kind of angsty fantasy is this supposed to be anyways?!

"I could just fall in a heap and die from my broken heart...but please don't be concerned, I'm sure I... _might_ get over it. Maybe. Probably not." Kokichi lets out a heavy sigh, pressing his hands to his face. "I just don't know how to live without you."

 _I would gladly fall into a heap and die right now, if only to pull myself away from this misery._

"I love you, Kokichi," I pathetically say, face so warm that I'm sure Kokichi can feel the heat rolling off of it.

...

"...Say it again."

"I-I love you, Kokichi," I repeat, horribly embarrassed. I'm trying to remind myself he's not legitimately asking me to profess my love for him multiple times, but despite this knowledge I still feel like diving under the bed and becoming one with the carpet.

"Again! Like you _mean_ it!"

"I SAID I LOVE YOU, KOKICHI!" I exclaim, quite near the point of passing out as I press my cheek against the back of his neck on his bandanna to sell the lie...and pause when something cold touches my face besides the checkered fabric.

Lifting my head, I look where I've felt the cold chain and blink when I see a metal cord hanging around his neck- barely peeking through the bandanna's folds. Almost immediately at the sight of it, my stomach begins to swirl with unease. I have a feeling...a gut feeling that I know exactly what I'm looking at. Seconds pass and I reach over his shoulder to start pulling out from under his bandanna and coat.

Kokichi himself has fallen still and is no longer saying anything. He isn't even trying to stop me. Needless to say, the lack of a reaction at all is not promising _or_ comforting. Especially since it only prompts my suspicions to grow as I pull the pendant of the chain closer into view.

 _Please no...don't let it be what I think it is..._

...

Eventually I reach the pendant.

It looks like a key. It looks like _that_ key.

The Kumasutra Love Suite key.

The same key "guests" may use to enter the hotel without having to come in as a brainless zombie living a pathetic fantasy.

A strangled noise escapes me as I stare at the key in my hand, my brain only making things worse by highlighting every embarrassing thing I've done and said in Kokichi's presence since I first woke up. How I've been _dressed_ in his presence.

The sound is enough for Kokichi to turn his head and look straight at me with a smug smirk of amusement befitting of a trouble-making little impish monster like him.

"So Prairie Dog _loves me_ then _,_ right? For realsies? Because I'm cute, clever, and charismatic? Do you love me enough to kiss me?" He asks, fully turning around so he can face me. Naturally, I let out a squeal and jump back several steps to avoid him. To my horror, he continues to lunge forwards up until I turn to just run away from him.

I wish I could punch him, I really do, but I'm not dressed for the occasion. The best mode of action is retreating _immediately._

Easier said than done, of course this rat immediately dashes around me to jump right in front of the door to slam himself over my escape route.

"You can't leave yet! I just got here and I haven't gotten my kiss! You _liar!_ You don't love me at all!" Kokichi accuses me to my frustration.

"No, _duh!_ Who would love someone like you?!" I snark, only to receive this absolutely wide grin from Kokichi's face as he stares at me. "STOP IMPLYING THAT WOULD BE ME! You're terrible! You tricked me and made me say all those embarrassing and humiliating things!"

"Why are you embarrassed?" Kokichi snickers, crossing his arms as he leans back against the door. "If you don't like me or care about me, then whatever you do in front of me shouldn't bother you at all for the reason that you wouldn't care about my opinion...which proves you care about how I see you! Which means you _do_ like me!"

 _I hate him and I hate his weird logic!_

"Shut up and let me be angry without criticizing my reasons for being angry, you dumb rat!" I complain, stamping a foot on impulse before Kokichi lets out a snort like he thinks my behavior is hilarious. "Go away!"

At that, Kokichi relaxes a little and shrugs like he understands, making me feel a pang of sudden regret when he turns to open the door with a simple 'okay' on his part.

 _Wait!_

"W-Wait!" I blurt out to my utter embarrassment.

Kokichi pauses, the door cracked open slightly as he turns his head back my way.

"Eh? Well, make up your mind. Do you wanna kick me out, or do you want me to stay?" He snickers in question. He looks amused and I'm just standing there feeling exposed in more ways than the obvious. Why did I say anything?! I can see him _thinking_ things! I don't like it!

But...the thought of being alone again...I think I dislike that idea a lot more than I dislike Kokichi's annoying presence.

As embarrassing as that fact is.

"I don't particularly want it to be _you_ staying, but..." I start grouchily, watching Kokichi open the door wider.

"Oka-ay~! Here I go on my way then!" He says in a sing-song voice until I have to bat my pride aside in panic and dart forward to grab the sleeve of his coat. He pauses one more time, laughing a little as he looks back over his shoulder at me. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on leaving anyways. I want to stick around and bug you like I planned three days ago."

 _Why is he always manipulating me to embarrass myself?!_

With a moment of silence that extends longer than usual, I eventually smack the back of his head a few times with a low growl. He retreats out the door snickering like mad, but to my relief returns with a heavy looking bag similar to the one Shuichi brought before. I've got to admit though, this time the bag looks to have much more this time than it did last time. To think Kokichi would have actually thought to haul it along with him though...

Speaking of which!

"Hey, how did you even manage to get a key anyways? I find it hard to believe you'd be like Rantaro or Tenko trying to win a key just to see me," I comment curiously, causing Kokichi to raise an eyebrow in my direction as he follows me towards the bed.

"Oh? You thought I wouldn't want to see cute, sweet, Mousey-mouse? But, but! But what if I _did?_ What if I just couldn't stay away from you? What if-!"

"You would never. Kokichi, don't act as if you like me- as a friend, I mean. You just like to mess with me like I'm a shiny toy," I point out upon turning to face him and crossing my arms as he stares at me. Kokichi pointedly sets the bag down between us to bring my attention to it, to which I just roll my eyes. "Thanks for bringing the bag, but one nice thing doesn't change a regular behavior of trying to upset me."

Kokichi just stares at me quietly, and almost a second later, tears are rolling from his eyes despite his stiff smile.

"You really hate me that much, huh?" he asks in such an honestly hurt tone that this little sympathetic kernel in my heart jerks yet again. No, there's no way I'm falling for this trick again! He's just a good actor!

"I-I do! I hate you! Because you play with my emotions and do things like freaking _this!"_ I snap, gesturing to his teary-eyed innocent look of despair. "Stop crying, you baby! You're not really sad!"

Somehow, and little do I know it's even possible, more tears manage to erupt from his eyes. It's getting harder for me to stand my ground, so I turn away to give him my back.

"Aw, Prairie Dog, you're so sweet to show me _every_ angle of your behind! Nice mole, by the way~!"

 _I knew he was lying!_

I turn back around and back off quickly to the bed, grabbing the comforter and wrapping it around my legs protectively with a face as hot as lava.

"T-There's no mole back there!" I snap, knowing full well what I look like from top to bottom at this point.

"Oh, really? Huh, I wouldn't know because that was a lie. I'm not interested in looking at anybody's ass," Kokichi says matter-of-factly, his face clean of tears entirely already despite how much was pouring out earlier. Following that, he lifts up the bag again from his feet and makes his way to where I am on the bed. "Anyways, behold the Prairie Dog Care Package! Let's get started, no more interruptions out of you Prairie Dog!"

 _If anyone is making weird interjections, it's_ ** _you_** _, sewer rat._

"Nishishi, if looks could kill, I'm sure you'd have already escaped this killing game for real by now!" He snickers, opening the bag up with a quick unzip. "I guess you'll have to come up with a better plan next time!"

"...There is no plan for next time. I'm done," I say, prompting Kokichi to stop pulling contents out of the bag. There's more containers of food, all which he sets out on the bed up until I open my mouth. As soon as he stops, a little voice in my head immediately jumps up with only the most obvious of remarks.

 _See? Look, he's not happy hearing that, is he? As much as you try to see him in a good light, he doesn't actually care about "you". He cares more about your utility and usefulness to his own benefit. So long as it saves his own tail._

"What's wrong? You're so quiet all of a sudden," I can't help but say, taking a container and crawling closer to the bag to fish out those familiar pink wooden chopsticks with white bunny decals- cleaned and ready to be used again. When I open the first container, I'm delighted to see cooked chicken, mushrooms, and veggies with white rice, all packed in the same dish. There's toothpicks over the piece of chicken, holding two carrot circles in place as eyes and two others holding a long slice of half an onion ring as a smile.

I can't help but bite my lip to stop my own smile from forming at the sight of it, even slapping a hand over my mouth. Did Rantaro Amami _really_ make a smiley face on my food? It's so cheesy!

 _Stop fluttering, stop fluttering, stop fluttering-_

"So you're finished trying to escape? You don't want to leave so badly anymore? ...Do you like it here even though Rantaro could possibly be killed next too?" Kokichi asks casually upon noticing my giddiness over the cooked surprise, making me spear the chicken chunk into easy pieces to grab with a little more aggression than necessary.

Bye-bye, smiley face. Blame this demented party-pooper for your demise.

"I tried, I failed. I don't know what else to do. I discovered things, but nothing that will help us actively get out. All I've learned only makes our situation seem all the more bleaker. What more do you want me to do?"

Kokichi clicks his tongue, looking a tad bit irritated.

"Not quit just because it's not easy? How about that?" He says, prompting me to bite on my tongue painfully at his words mid chewing. I jerk and whine, scowling a little as I wait out the pain before continuing to chew. Is that what he thinks? That I'm so shallow and lazy that I'd quit simply because it wasn't "easy"? If that was the case, I would have quit long ago, like during the third or fourth reset at the beginning.

 _No, he's just saying this to get a rise out of me and make me angry._

"Yeah, I'm a lazy hog. I quit. Rantaro, the rest of us, and myself...we'll all die here. Maybe. But you're a smart rat, I'm sure you and some other lucky student might make it as a final survivor duo or something," I answer in response, noting a subtle twitch in what is usually Kokichi's carefully composed expression. "What? Will you only acknowledge I've tried hard enough if I got us out or died trying?"

"Yes," he answers without hesitation.

I narrow my eyes, but eventually just return to eating my chicken and rice veggies from Rantaro. I get his logic, it's the same logic I brought up plenty of times before. If you're not willing to put your life on the line to escape a situation that will take it from you, you've already lost. And here I am going against it now.

"Are you really that willing to quit? Even knowing how far you've gotten? Even with your advantage over the rest of us?" Kokichi pushes, making me scowl as I scoop rice into my mouth.

"Advantage? What advantage?" I half snort as I swallow my chewed food down. If anything, Monokuma has made it his sole objective to make sure I'm consistently at a _disadvantage_ no matter what I do.

"...You know what I'm talking about," he pushes, staring up at me quietly until my chewing comes to a slow when I repeat his words in my head.

 _Wait...is he talking about...?_

My mind flashes back to a few points in time, specifically the times he watched me do something he possibly perceived to be too accurate- too fluid- too perfect to be normal.

"No, I don't think I do," I object, since it's not possible at least in my own mind that this rat could have figured something as impossible as that out. "Let's not talk about this anymore."

Not to mention, if he knows...Monokuma might kill him off outright. Let's just hope he's got a wrong assumption and end the subject before he says something that'll get himself killed or before he figures something out that Monokuma will be mad at the both of us for.

"Yes, you do, Prairie Dog-"

"I don't, now _drop it_. I don't want to talk about it anymore," I snap after a moment, watching as an edge of vexation appears on Kokichi's face. After a second though, it dissipates. He shrugs and takes my chopsticks with a hum of resignation.

"Alright, alright...by the way, I like Sudoku Puzzles too," he comments, immediately making my irritation sizzle out. While I'm thinking of his statement, he reaches out to steal some rice and pop it in his mouth with a grin.

When I was climbing the wall...that was a while ago, but I remember he looked like he had done something and I never figured out what that was. Come to think of it, I thought that it was weird the puzzle book I put in my back pocket managed to stay on while I was climbing the whole way. Even when I had slipped a few times and when I got tossed by the Exisal, I still remember it in my pocket at the end.

Kokichi shoves the chopsticks back in my hand, making me look at him directly.

...The puzzle book hadn't been in my pocket while I was climbing, had it? The thing Kokichi had done was _steal_ it. And once he finished giving it a browse, he just put it back where he found it.

"I _knew_ you did something back then!" I complain, pointing my chopsticks towards him in an air stab. "Keep your grubby hands to yourself, jeez!"

 _I'm not talking about it still. Whatever he's thought he's figured out, I refuse to give him any more information about my intuition and that's final._

I adjust the chopsticks in my hand to shove some rice in my mouth, mulling over his claims until he starts snickering and pulls my attention back to him.

"Indirect kiss," Kokichi suddenly switches gears unexpectedly to point out with a bright smile, enough that I blink at him in confusion. He points at my chopsticks, his grin getting wider. "I stole some rice with those."

...

My face suddenly heats up several levels warmer, causing Kokichi to burst out laughing.

"I've got to admit, you have the best reactions to things. You're not boring at all!" He states, making me drop my chopsticks to hide my warm face in my curly hair.

"Why would you point that out?! N-No, why would you even put your mouth on chopsticks I've _used?!_ Wait... _why would you steal the food Rantaro cooked for_ _me_ _?!"_ I demand, my tone becoming more aggressive as I go through my thoughts, eventually settling on rage and reaching over to smack him over the head until he stops me with a chuckle. "Stop trying to embarrass me!"

"Prairie Dog...I don't have to try. Like, at all. It's super easy, seee~?" He comments, making me squeak in horror when he turns to get up and lean closer towards me. I grab the container of food and practically leap up off the bed to get away from him when he starts laughing at me even more.

 _"Stop_ it! You're being so weird! I know all of _this-_ " I stop to gesture around to the stupid room, the stupid bed, and the stupid BDSM corner. "-is otherwise greatammo on the 'get Prairie to humiliate herself over boys' scale, but that's enough! Cut it out already! You're stressing me out!"

I calm down a little when he stops laughing to stare at me quietly. Seeing this as a sign I'm getting through to him, I give him a pleading look.

And Kokichi promptly makes a face at that- a rather dumb face. One like he's telling me he chooses to ignore my pleas altogether.

"What the heck is that stupid expression for?! Don't you have any respect for a person's boundaries?!" I demand. "All I'm asking is that you stop playing around with my hormones!"

...

"But what if I'm _responding_ to your hormones-"

"UGH!" I groan, walking over to the mirror away from the bed to have some space and eat in peace. Whatever! He wouldn't _actually_ do anything to me, he doesn't even like me as a friend. I just need to keep reminding myself that and I can get through this.

 _Is this torture still worth it? Wouldn't it be better to kick him out and be alone? I won't have to deal with his behavior if I do that._

"By the way, Rantaro packed you clothes," Kokichi only _then_ decides to let me know, making me quickly finish up the first course of food. I stand up and march back over to the bed where he is, setting the empty container with the chopsticks down angrily and snatching the bag of garments from him viciously. Of course he waits until the last moment to say something. OF COURSE! "Nee-hee-hee! I love you too, Prairie Dog~!"

"DON'T MOCK ME," I snap, slamming the bathroom door shut as hard as I possibly can and locking. Does it matter if I really lock? Probably not, but false sense of security or not, at least I _feel_ freaking secure.

 _Who does he think he is?! That rat is always out trying to rile me up! I hate him!_

 _..._

 _Alright...forget about him for a moment. What did Rantaro pack me? Furthermore, Kokichi couldn't have gotten the things Rantaro wanted to send me unless Rantaro gave them to Kokichi himself, right? So then why did he send Kokichi over Shuichi?_

 _Where is Slowhara? I would rather deal with him and his perviness over Kokichi and his whole entire personality! At least Shuichi is easier to order around...he's kinda like a doormat._

I look down at the additional bag of clothing and unzip its contents, releasing a small noise of horror. The first thing I see are undies- causing my face to grow incredibly warm. Because _Rantaro_ didn't wash my clothes and undergarments...did he?! Did he see my panties?!

Dizzy, I maneuver myself down onto the floor so I don't fall over and hurt myself. It isn't until my face cools a little that I see a note folded neatly atop the clothes. It's been pinned in place with a safety pin, which I gently remove...before realizing something's off about the suit. I mean, it looks familiar in that it has the same design as my ultimate outfit.

What's off is that the orange parts are now white, along with a white ribbon rather than an orange one.

 _What the heck happened to it?_

I pause and lean in after pulling some of it out of the bag, noting how some parts of it seem...whiter than others. Still, the paint is admittedly well done considering we're all stuck here and everything. Unless you really squint, the cream colored parts blend in perfectly.

Curiously, I give the suit a sniff and feel more confusion fill my system. Yeah, it's definitely been painted, but why would anyone go through the trouble of repainting the orange parts of my ultimate outfit anyways?

There's simply a quick note scribbled on the small card, but it's enough for the steam to leave my face and a sigh of relief to escape me when I realize it _wasn't_ Rantaro that packed my undies and clothes.

"What, did you take that good of a crap?" Kokichi remarks from the room in obvious amusement, making my head snap up and my cheeks burn.

"I'm not using the toilet, _carcinoma_ , shut your trap!" I shout back, hearing a hum on his part like he's impressed with something. Not that I care whatever's impressed him, he's mental.

 _"Sorry I don't have a cosplay finished yet! I resorted to washing a pair of your old clothes instead, I hope that's okay! -Tsumugi"_

I know it's that traitorous stupid cow, but still, better her than Rantaro. And none of that explains the color treatment done to the outfit...other than the fact that maybe it was Tsumugi considering I imagine only she could handle fabric manipulation this well.

 _Well, there's no point complaining. It's still my suit- and that's drastically better than another raunchy cosplay or lingerie from Monokuma._

Figuring it'd be nicer to step in these new clothes squeaky clean (since I still feel dirty from that time underground), I jump in the shower and clean myself off again. Once I've dried myself, I pull my new clothes on and grab the hairbrush in the bag that now carries the stupid lingerie thing Monokuma left me as well as Shuichi's shirt.

Pushing open the bathroom door and stepping out into the cool temperature of the hotel room, I'm surprised to see Kokichi lounging on the bed casually.

"You're still here?" I ask, curious to hear what reason he'd have on staying.

"It's not boring with you," he answers to my dismay. "Plus, didn't you want me to stay? Because you love me? You said it like three times..."

A flicker of irritation hits me but it's gone pretty fast. Still, there's no way I'm gonna let him make jokes of me like that.

"Don't act like I said that of my own volition. I thought you weren't aware of what was happening. Obviously you know the stupid gimmick of this place, considering you used it against me," I huff, causing Kokichi to chuckle.

"I learned as I was coming in! This is my first time in this place," he states, making me roll my eyes.

"How'd you manage to rack up 10,000 coins, anyways? Isn't that a waste of time?" I ask, followed by this rat immediately answering, "Not if the reward means seeing Prairie Dog."

My cheeks burn again even though I'm noticing something rather annoying. He won't answer how he got the stupid key or _anything_ about his entry here in particular...no, every time I try, he says something to distract me.

Smelly rat.

"Why do you keep avoiding my questions about the Love Suite key?" I pointedly ask, looking his way and receiving a broad smile for my bold question. That better not be all I receive, because SHUICHI is supposed to be here. "Don't think I can't see that you're flirting with me as a method of distraction. Haha, embarrass Prairie and make her uncomfortable so she forgets what we were talking about- I wasn't born yesterday, you know?"

"Hmm...okay. You really wanna know?" Kokichi asks, sitting up cross legged as I walk around the bed and to the mirror on the other side. Seeing me headed that way, he gets up to follow me.

"No, I was just asking for fun," I deadpan, facing the mirror and brushing my fluffy hair. I already blow dried it, but it's still damp here and there...

Kokichi walks around me, leaning against the front of the mirror so he's effectively blocking me from seeing my reflection. I drop my hands and stop grooming myself to glare at him.

"Will you do me a favor if I tell you?" He asks, smiling when I give him a dry look at the idea.

"Why would I do anything for you?" I ask, before regretting it since I know what he's going to say. "Never mind, don't answer that. I know what that dumb peanut-sized brain of yours is gonna spout out in response. You're so predictable..."

Although I hadn't meant to pluck a nerve, his eyes narrow slightly and his expression becomes a bit more plastic than before. I'd say I regretted saying it, but...it's not every day you find something bothers the Ultimate Supreme Leader. Especially when it's a remark that irritates him during a very casual conversation. Calling someone predictable isn't even the slightest bit insulting...is it?

Or maybe Kokichi's just prideful about being unpredictable by nature? Pfft. Stupid rat.

"Oh, that bothered you? Too bad. Cry me a river. And no, I'm not doing any favors for you. I'm not interested in knowing how you got here or how you got the key anymore," I say, stepping forward to scoot him out from in front of the mirror.

He does not move.

When I try to push him, he braces himself against my pushing, still clearly not happy despite the casual mask he has on. I push more until I groan and turn to use my back and whole body to try and get him to move, but he refuses to budge even an inch.

"Kokichi, MOVE!" I complain, but he doesn't answer as he stands in the way like a stubborn statue. "God, you're so sensitive, get over yourself!"

He seems to be less happy about the additional remark, because when I turn to try and push him manually again, he reaches over and pulls on a lock of my hair. It's not hard enough to really hurt too much, but you don't just go pulling on people's hair.

Especially not the hair of an individual that has been through enough crap thus far and is on the brink of snapping at any unlucky scoundrel that happens to anger her.

I reach over and grab his hair in response, yanking harder than he'd done to me so he curses and reaches over to pull my hair again- as hard as I've done to him this time.

It's at this point I decide he's not leaving this room without a few beatings, so I take a step back and promptly charge him full on- finally removing him from in front of the stupid mirror with a battle cry and tackling him to the ground. I'm up on my feet relatively quickly to snatch one of the firm pillows on the bed a few feet away, returning to start delivering the long-awaited smack down of the century to stupid Kokichi Oma.

"You're! The most! Annoying! Pain! To ever! Exist! On this! PLANET!" I exclaim, hitting him with every sharp statement before he finally catches the pillow and starts trying to pull it away from me. "Are your feelings gonna be hurt if I say you're surprisingly easy to offend? Man, I guess I was saying all the wrong things before, right? Oh! Except for that one thing! What was it again?"

I pretend to consider it, causing Kokichi's eyes to narrow as he holds the pillow in a death grip to prevent me from hitting him again. It almost looks like he could rip it to shreds, despite the fact he looks more or less expressionless now.

"Oh, yeah, I remember! You'r E," I huff, only to feel my heart jerk in mild horror when he suddenly rips the pillow out of my hands with a force I wasn't expecting.

Because I'm holding on to the pillow so tightly, I'm swung forward where I land on my stomach ungracefully beside his feet. The feeling of landing on my bruises is as uncomfortable as ever, but I brush it off as I see him face me and lift up his newly acquired weapon.

 _No no no!_

I roll out of the way with a squeak of terror so he hits the floor with it instead, feeling the blood drain from my face when I hear how hard he's slammed it into the ground. It makes an audible smacking sound that echoes in the room, enough that I _know_ I don't want to be hit by him from ANY angle.

"M-Mercy...?" I ask timidly when he begins to straighten up, doubting my pleas will be answered when he brings the pillow up with him and casts me a malicious gleeful grin that only promises torture. He raises the pillow and I scramble away on all fours on the double to increase the space between us. I regret everything I said and I regret my boasting and bad attitude. "You can't hit me! I'm already battered up as it is, that would be cruel and-!"

"Well!" he cuts me off, continuing with, "I guess you'd better get good at _dodging!"_

He brings the pillow down where I'm trying to get up on my feet, making me throw myself out of the way as the loud smack reverberates in the room and reminds me what a hit plus all my injuries are likely to translate into on the pain scale. Is he really so cruel that he'd hurt me more?

"You're a bully!" I complain, finally getting up and running across the room over the bed. He follows quickly, swinging the pillow to try and hit my torso as I jump down the bed. I duck as my feet hit the carpet, his pillow hitting the control panel on the headboard for the evil carousel of cardboard horses to start up again. Dodging one of the cardboard horses, I dash to the area near the BDSM set-up since it's pretty much the only direction to escape.

"And you aren't? Hey, stand still for juuust a moment."

"Like I'd do that, you psychotic rat!" I step back and manage to trip over some ropes I didn't see on the ground, landing hard on my behind with a squeak before seeing Kokichi raise the pillow.

Admitting defeat, I whine and curl up in a protective ball on the floor with my eyes snapped shut tightly as I wait for the blow. My heart is suddenly pounding as if my life is in danger, even though I know it isn't. Kokichi's only chasing me around with a pillow after all. Even if he's throwing it around pretty hard, the most I'll feel is sore and grumpy.

So why is it getting harder to breathe then?

Before he brings it down, I realize I can't breathe and suddenly bolt up into a sitting position. I can hear myself inhaling and exhaling deeply- too fast to be normal. To my surprise though, just that alone is enough for Kokichi to toss the pillow aside carelessly and jump down beside me.

"Oops. Okay, Prairie Dog, you win and you're perfectly fine! I'm just gonna prop you up here-" he wraps an arm around my waist to pull me back against the nearby wall as I heave for air.

Panic physically coils around my nerves like snakes despite my confusion. There isn't any sort of danger here, so why is my body behaving as if there is? What's wrong?

 _This is familiar...something a bit similar to this happened a bit when I was in the vents under the tunnel, now that I think about it. Back when I fell down a long vent and thought I wouldn't be able to get out. When I thought I was going to be stuck down there and die._

 _I'm hyperventilating again._

I was able to stop it before and I managed to get control of it during that time though. For some reason however, I can't control it this time. All I feel is panic grabbing hold of my body from every direction. It's making me feel light-headed to the point my vision starts to get grainy and dark. My hands even feel like they're going numb.

"Okie dokie, now I'm gonna put your hands right here-" Kokichi grabs my hands and suddenly places them cupped over my mouth so I'm forced to slow down my breathing. It feels uncomfortable enough that more panic begins to crawl in, so I remove them to get the generous airflow going again. At that, he grabs my hands once more and yanks them back over my mouth, adding, "Keep them there. Don't worry, you won't pass out if you do this! And if you do...uhh, sweet dreams in advance."

 _That's not comforting! This isn't a joke!_

"Oh, before you do pass out though- just to let you know, I wasn't planning on actually hitting you with the pillow. I figure I should say that now since this didn't go as well as planned," Kokichi admits, although he still looks pretty unconcerned.

 _This is your fault-_

"In my defense, I didn't know you'd wig out over a pillow fight," Kokichi adds, as if completely understanding me just by the sharp look of my eyes on him.

Granted, he sits with me the entire time as he waits for me to calm down again. It takes a while before I stop feeling like there's impending doom hanging over me, and by the time I'm not panicked anymore, I feel completely exhausted.

"...I hate you, Oma," I grumble, making Kokichi smile in response.

"Aw, I hate you too, Marble," he answers casually, reaching over to pat my head lightly. I can't believe I'm thinking it, but I'm somewhat relieved that he doesn't actually SOUND like he hates me. Although, he did just spend twenty plus minutes on the floor with me to make sure I don't pass out. "By the way, you gonna eat the food Runturdo cooked you, or can I eat it?"

I growl at the idea and get up on all fours, crawling back over to the bed where he left the containers of food and the rest of the "Prairie Care Package" as he called it.

 _Well, if he chose to sit down with me the entire time, I guess he must have some sort caring element in his system, right? Right?_

Don't hold your breath, miss wanna-find-Kokichi's-redeeming-quality. No wonder he thinks you like him, you make it way too easy when you actively try to find his good qualities.

"New-hee-hee! Prairie Dog, are you embarrassed for having a panic attack?" Kokichi asks by the time he's joined me on the bed, watching me grab another container so I'm now digging into some kind of soup. There's something that looks like seeds in it...maybe lentils. Regardless, it's incredibly tasty.

"What? Why would I be embarrassed about that?" I ask, raising a brow his way as I pause in my eating. How my body reasonably responds to perceived danger is not my fault, I've been through enough to warrant being triggered suddenly like that.

"I dunno, you tell me. Your face is a tomato," Kokichi snickers, reaching over to poke my cheek. His finger is noticeably cooler than my face.

If anything, my face begins to radiate more heat at that point because I know what I was thinking prior to him calling my red face to attention.

"Shut up..." I grumble, returning to my soup until I've entirely drained and eaten its contents. The next thing I see Rantaro has packed me is a round ham sandwich, one with toasted bread that hits the nose with a delectable smell.

I don't know if it's just the sandwich itself that looks tasty, or the fact it's a tasty looking sandwich _made by_ Rantaro that makes it look all the more appetizing.

You know, until Kokichi leans over to take the first bite from where I'm holding it. He leans back once he's gotten some, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing and smiling.

"Ooo, it is as tasty as it looks!" he states, only making my heart yearn for another tantrum against him.

"Hey, that was mine!" I object, watching him shrug dumbly.

"What, do you want it back? If you say so. Gimme some room so I can go mother penguin over here-" he says, sitting up more and beginning to put a finger in his mouth until I grab his wrist and stop him with a snappy, "Don't be gross!"

"Okay~! Can I have another bite?"

I back away from him and start eating, only for him to follow me around even when I get off the bed and try to keep the distance between us reasonable.

"Rat, you're gonna give me another panic attack," I warn him, even though I don't feel any fear like I had before. At the moment, I'm just defensive and annoyed.

"No, I'm not! Just one more little bite, pleeeaaase?" he asks again, evidently making me stop when I realize he's just going to keep asking me. I hold out the sandwich and narrow my eyes.

" _One_ bite," I agree, only to immediately regret it when he ducks and takes a big bite out of my sandwich that isn't by any means considered 'one' bite. "What was that?! That gigantic shark bite was like THREE whole bites!"

"You saih wuhm biee, noin avoh hou bih hh biee gouh veh," Kokichi comments innocently around the bite, barely managing to speak it because it's just this giant lump in his cheek.

"I can't understand you and you can hardly _chew_ it. God, you're ridiculous." I can't help but feel giggles attempt to rise from my chest, restraining myself from laughing because I don't want him getting ideas.

Still, it is funny. As mad as I am that he's taken a giant bite of _my_ sandwich Rantaro made for me, I can't help but want to laugh at the stupid face he's making trying to eat what's in his mouth. He's literally bit off more than he could chew.

He finishes eating it after a moment though, even stealing one of my napkins to clean his mouth on top of everything he's already done.

"So about that favor I mentioned! You can keep eating, I just wanna play with your hair," Kokichi says, causing me to raise an eyebrow and take another bite of my sandwich. My hair...what is it with the boys wanting to play with my hair...? First Rantaro and now this guy? "Just say yes. All you have to do is sit."

I scowl. "You're not gonna cut it or put anything weird in it, are you...?" I ask, before another thought comes up and I add, "Or give me a weird hairstyle?"

"Pinkie promise, I'm not gonna do anything bad! Would I lie?" He asks, holding out his pinkie and giving me a bright grin that screams pure innocence. Of course, I know better.

...

"Fine, whatever, weirdo," I agree after some mental arguing with myself on the matter.

 _I hope I don't regret this._

On that note, Kokichi reaches into the care package and hauls another bag out, grabbing my free wrist with the other to pull me back where we started beside the mirror on the other side of the room. He pushes one of the seats in front of the mirror, sitting me down so I continue to eat my sandwich while he opens that other bag of his.

To my surprise, he pulls out a hair straightener, making me look up at his face.

"D-Do you even know how to use that?" I ask, genuinely surprised considering...well, he's a boy that doesn't really care for his own appearance, case and point his messy styled hair. Not to mention that the tool is one mostly used by those that swing towards the feminine end of the spectrum.

"Yep," he just answers, walking around the mirror to plug it into a wall outlet and set it on the ground using the tools kickstand. He doesn't add to that, instead pulling out a spray bottle that I can see is heat protection spray and another hair brush that makes me turn to look around the room for the one I had before. Where did I even drop it...?

As I do that, Kokichi starts tinkering with my bow and removes it from my hair. Once it's tied around his wrist, he brushes through my hair and eventually begins to straighten my hair.

"Don't burn my ear," I huff when he gets the hot iron a bit too close to my ear for comfort, hearing him hum in response but say nothing else. In fact, as long as it takes for him to go through and straighten all my curly hair, the session is entirely quiet altogether. My hair seems longer now that it's not in these crazy curls, and once he finishes the back, Kokichi comes around and kneels down in front of me to start straightening my bangs out too.

Unfortunately, he's right in front of me, so I try to avert my gaze to all these other directions.

 _I never noticed how pasty and pale this rat is. Now that he's this close...he's not cute. I can finally say that he's not at all classifiable within the parameters of something "cute" whatsoever._

I look back at his face and eye his features, noting the subtle tint of purple under his eyes. He doesn't have the same unfair god-given eyelashes Rantaro does, but they _are_ more noticeable this close to him. One thing I hate to admit is how clear his skin is as well, smooth and not the least bit oily.

His nose is small and almost feminine-like, but with his boyish features and facial proportions, it fits perfectly well. Even his lips are fitting for his face, a tight pink line of concentration as he focuses on my hair and keeps from burning me with the iron.

Kokichi doesn't have a jaw like Rantaro's, but...

Before I realize what I'm doing, I've already reached out and brushed the single lock of his hair out of his face to see what he looks like without it in the way.

Kokichi stops what he's doing with a fleeting look of surprise, right before his features slowly contort into a grin of amusement. Meanwhile, I'm still processing my actions and the repercussions that will surely follow with wide eyes of bewilderment.

"You wanted to see the whole canvas, huh? How bold~" he coos, making me scowl and furiously yank my hand back. When I open my mouth to shout at him, all that comes out is a bunch of gibberish mashed together that makes my cheeks burn even warmer. I've done it again.

I've gone and embarrassed myself all of my own doing.

To my relief, he doesn't press the little issue, instead focusing on ironing the last part of my bangs with a chuckle and setting the tool aside once he's done.

He brushes through my hair again and then moves to my right side, taking a large lock of my hair and creating a braid three chains long. After using a little band around his finger to keep it in place, he moves to my other side to create another braid.

Glancing in the mirror, it actually looks surprisingly pretty...though it's hard to shake off that feeling of unfamiliarity. Nevertheless why would Kokichi consider this a "favor" to him? In what way is he benefiting from this?

Kokichi stands straight as soon as his work is done, taking a step back to eye me.

I can't help feel uncomfortable being looked at the way he's staring at me right now. It's not like he's admiring me or his even work...no, that's not it. The only way I can categorize how he's observing me from every angle, is that it's the kind of look one gives something that is somewhat familiar.

 _He looks a little confused...what's the point of this?_

Instead of getting up and resuming our previous activities- for me, that being my desire to search for more food Rantaro may have packed me- I wait until he's done circling me either which way.

"...Okay! I'm satisfied. Now I'm leaving," Kokichi states clearly with a grin, not even bothering to unplug the straightening iron as he makes a beeline for the exit casually.

"Eh?" I ask in confusion, turning in time to follow him the rest of the way to the door. He's dropped the ribbon he'd originally taken out of my hair, allowing it to flutter to the floor behind him.

He's really leaving just like that? He said he would stay...

 _Obviously, that was a lie._

"I'm not staying to babysit you. Bye-bye~!" Kokichi says, opening the door and stepping out without waiting for a response from me as he closes it immediately on my stunned face.

...

Well. It is what it is.

I yank the bands from my hair and unravel the stupid braids he made, ruining his work and scuffing up what was once meticulously straightened by the rat. When that doesn't completely ruin his hard work however, I unplug the straightening iron and waltz on over to the bathroom to soak my hair again.

I don't exit the bathroom until my hair has been completely blow dried and brushed back to its original curly state, tying the ribbon back to its original place.

 _Stupid Kokichi. Stupid liar. Stupid me._

In the room, I take a seat on my bed and think back to our prior conversation. He didn't tell me about how he got the key or how he got 10,000 casino coins. And he's walking around with some kind of knowledge about my "advantage".

Still, what could Kokichi have surmised from the Sudoku puzzle and my actions prior? My intuition...it's more or less unnatural. It shouldn't be possible and it's outside the realm of possibility for everyone except myself, Monokuma, and the Monokubs as far as things go.

 _And the mastermind._

I purse my lips, looking down at my lap in thought. Should I ignore it? I said I'd quit trying to escape...but Kokichi demands I use my advantage to our benefit, whatever he believes my advantage might be.

Maybe I should just be upfront and ask him, devil may care.

...

 _Nah._

I lean back on the bed, ignoring the care package and crawling under the bed sheets.

 _I'm going to sleep, to a place where I have no worries and things go my way._

 ** _End of 3.14 - A Rat's Pride_**


	44. 3:15 - Unfolding A Mystery

**_3.15 - Unfolding A Mystery_**

Sunshine everywhere. The pleasant rays of the sun are beating down on my skin and there's this sea breeze from the west rolling over my hot skin. I'm in a cute one piece bathing suit in the middle of a tropical island. Beneath me is a checkered red picnic blanket along with a fruit dish and plenty of other meals and beverages.

I feel perfect.

Everything is perfect.

Nobody is here to bother me.

I toss a large piece of an apple slice into my mouth instead of just biting a piece off, whining a little when it becomes a bit hard to chew from the size and its ridgid corners. Nevertheless, the succulent apple flavor tastes wonderful.

"Prairie, if you take big bites you're gonna cramp up your jaw. Here-"

I look up, tilting my hat back to see a pair of beautiful green eyes looking down at me. It's Rantaro Amami that's sitting behind me. He's smiling and holding a small fork out towards me with a bite sized cut apple piece. Of course he's nice enough to cut it to a reasonable size…how sweet of him.

I smile like a pampered pooch and open my mouth, giddy as he sticks the apple between my teeth and lets me remove it from the fork. This is more like it, easier to chew and everything!

"Are you thirsty?" His velvet voice asks, making me smile and nod before he's holding a small glass up to my lips and carefully tilting what tastes like raspberry-lemonade into my mouth. It tastes wonderful.

I feel wonderful.

Everything is wonderful.

"Since you're being so nice, I _guess_ you could paint my nails and brush my hair today…but this won't be a common treat, so you better enjoy it," I comment, holding out my hand to him and watching Rantaro's eyes light up with delight.

He grabs a pillow from somewhere and tucks it under my head along the blanket, letting me lay back and cross my legs daintily as he rummages around his pockets and eventually produces a pretty mint green shade to paint my nails.

While he's enjoying himself, I use my free hand to pop tomato grapes in my mouth, smiling at the sweet flavor. Who knew tomatoes were so good when they're raw?

"Your hands are as pretty and small as always, Prairie. I could paint your nails all day and never get tired," Rantaro comments, his fingers tracing my palm down to my wrist and making my cheeks grow warm with my smile. I'm moments away from just throwing myself in his arms, I can't help it.

So much time away from him was the worst. If it means he stays with me more, he can pamper me as much as he wants. I missed him too much to argue. Plus…maybe there is a small fragment inside me that enjoys being pampered, but…a little less enjoyment when the pampering is a result of looking down on me and misjudging my own strength.

"Hey, your nails are done. I'll get started on your hair next, alright? Just sit tight for me," he says, my smile big when I see how fancy my nails look. He even puts some crystals on a few of my nails. "Your hair is very pretty…it'd be a shame if it was cut, but I'm sure you'd make any short hairstyle look lovely."

 _Oh no, I'm gonna get cavities from him, he's too sweet…!_

"I-I'm not planning to cut it…what would you brush if I got it all chopped off?" I respond, casting him my sweetest smile and basking under his attention when he gives me a warm look and brushes some of my hair out of my face.

I can't sit here anymore. I wanna hug him!

My heart is on the brink of bursting with delight as I leap into him, wrapping my arms tightly around Rantaro to make sure he can't leave me again. All the apologies I want to tell him, all my faults I've acknowledged and want to work on…

"...Wow, that happy to see me, Prairie Dog?" A voice dryly asks.

 _Eh? "Prairie Dog"...?_

Opening my eyes, I come to the slow realization I'd been dreaming. Rantaro and I are not having a nice picnic together on a tropical island. Rantaro did not paint my nails or do my hair.

 _Oh right. I'm still in the killing game…it was just a meaningless dream._

 _Wait. Then who am I hugging…?_

Replaying what I heard before, I blink my eyes and look up to see Kokichi. It's not a dream or my imagination, sadly. I really just jumped into Kokichi Oma's arms.

"WHAT?!" I exclaim, narrowing my blue orbs on him before realizing I'm still in bed. In fact, I'm still laying down.

And so is Kokichi.

I squeak in pure horror, jumping back and recoiling my arms and legs from him like a violated octopus as he sits up and stretches out. With a small crack of his back and a sleepy grunt, he lays back down on his side and casts me a somewhat irritated look. He sure has some nerve, all things considered! Isn't he in _my_ hotel room?!

"W-What are you even doing here? I thought you _left!"_ I complain, pulling the blankets further over myself since I'm wearing my usual small pajamas from my room. I found them near the bottom of the Prairie Care Package (as Kokichi put it), although I had considered putting on the stupid lingerie since I didn't want to already get my outfit (as white as it's been dyed) all sweaty from sleep. "You marched out of here all, 'oh, I'm not _babysitting_ you!'"

…

Kokichi just stares at my face longer, clearly exasperated for some reason. I don't know why he's not answering me or why he's looking at me like that…was he sleeping and grumpy now because I woke him up?

"I'm not talking to you," he says, turning to lay where he gives me his back. It's only then that I notice his neck is bare, making me glance at the checkered bandanna, shoes, monopad, and kubz pad he's left on one of the chairs in the sitting area to the side of the room.

 _How long has he been in here…? No, never mind that. What is he mad at me for? This can't really be about waking him up, right? He's not_ ** _that_** _sensitive, no way. I didn't do anything to him! I let him mess with my stupid hair before he left and everything!_

 _…_

 _Oh, whatever. If he wants to be mad and invade my room, fine. I'm sure not staying with cranky-pants though._

"Okay, fine. Enjoy the bed, now you can stretch _all_ across it. I'll be in the other roo-" I start to say, crawling from out under the covers and towards the end of the bed only to yelp when Kokichi grabs my arm and yoinks me back into him suddenly. Shocked, I flail a little and look back. He's _much_ too close for comfort! "H-Hey!"

"I'm just lying, Prairie Dog~! Nee-hee-hee, you're so cute when you're upset," he brightly comments with a smile, prompting a scowl on my end.

"Um, you're lying _now._ I don't know what's your problem, but I don't want to be a part of it, _Rat Face,"_ I snark moodily, struggling to get him to loosen his hold around me. Every time I get one arm free, he just goes and collects it back under his own arms. "Excuse me! I'm trying to LEAVE here? You've made it clear my presence is unwelcome, so I'm doing you a favor to fix the matter!"

"Do you _really_ want to leave? When we're as cozy as we are right now?" He chuckles when I pause to catch my breath, the rat having watched me struggle to no avail since I'm still more or less getting rid of the sleepy feeling in my limbs. "Let's go back to sleep. We can cuddle as much as you want to, you know…?"

His voice has dipped to a husker and deeper tone, one which makes my heart skip several beats since he murmurs it so close to my ear.

 _Now I_ ** _really_** _want to leave! This is giving me red flags on the "pervert" alarm!_

"Let go, let go, _let go!"_ I struggle even more now, up until I manage to irritate him enough to give up and release me with a click of his tongue. Scrambling off the bed is easy enough considering Kokichi doesn't reach for me again, instead leaning back on the bed and folding his arms behind his neck. These mood swings though! Kokichi is gonna give me whiplash!

"Fine. Leave," he simply comments to my utter displeasure. Really? Just… _really?_

He invaded my room again just to bring in this bad attitude of his?! He's worse than me!

I don't even gather my things, choosing to storm towards the exit.

"...I'll see you in whichever room you end up choosing in five minutes, Prairie Dog," Kokichi casually drops as he stares at the top of the bed frame where the canopy is designed like a carousel hood. This of course only makes me fume even more, out of rage, confusion, and humiliation.

What in the world has come over him? This is by far the most erratic behavior I've seen from him yet, and in such a short frame of time from last seeing him too!

 _...You know what? No!_ ** _I_** _shouldn't have to be the one that leaves!_ ** _He_** _should! I was here first!_

The sound of a boxing ring bell echoes loud and clear in my mind as I stop mid-stride to spin around on my heel and march back over to the bed. Kokichi looks up at me when he notices me stop at the side of the bed he's on, more or less composed and unbeknownst of my intentions as he lays there like he owns the place. This rotten sewage scrap of a rat…

…

I grab his legs suddenly and muster all the strength I have to yank him straight out of the bed and onto the floor. He lets out a curse as he hits the carpet with a thud, barely catching the edge or the bed frame and ultimately missing when I proceed to drag him as quickly as I can towards the exit of the room.

"Hey!" He complains when I get him out, ignoring him and making a break to get back in my room so I can hold the door shut on him.

Maybe he'll give up, right? And then I can find something to hold the door shut from in here…I don't know what can stop him, but I need to try. There's no way I'm letting this grumpy rat in, much _less_ to sleep in the same stupid bed as me!

Kokichi grabs my legs and yanks me down into the dark hallway with him, much to my surprise as I hit the ground with a small noise and am dragged back out of the room where Kokichi is. The only thing illuminating the floor in front of the hall (and just that portion) is the light from my room.

When he tries to get up to race back in, my temper rises.

"Oh no you _don't!"_ I huff, grabbing him by the straps of his coat at the arms and pulling him back where I get him on the ground.

Before I can get up, he growls irritably and rolls over to pin me down, startling me since he reaches to restrain my arms. If he does that, I _definitely_ lose!

"You're not kicking me out!" He claims, just as I maneuver my entire body to flip us and pin Kokichi down instead. In fact, it's almost surprising how easy it is now to flip him under me considering I was having trouble just getting my arms free earlier. Either way, an uncharacteristic snort of laughter slips from my mouth. He looks rather insulted by my amusement…

Good.

"Wow, you're shockingly light for someone just barely over five foot…you _definitely_ need to drink more milk," I snicker, causing Kokichi to scowl and snap both hands on either side of my waist, digging his fingers in presumably to flip us over again so he has the upper hand.

The moment his fingers grip my sensitive sides, I let out an embarrassing squeal- one that sounds a bit too… _Miu-like._ My hands slap over my mouth in horror, a terrible warmth crawling over my entire face to the tips of my ears as I then grab his hands and promptly pull them off of my waist. It's quiet now- _painfully_ quiet.

I am absolutely mortified and embarrassed over my reaction. Glancing at Kokichi, he's visibly stunned like he's been caught off guard once again. It's a look similar to the one he made when I moved that lock of hair from his face earlier in the night…I can't say the expression isn't refreshing, considering it's an honest look in comparison to his many usual "masks" he wears.

Now, that's fascinating and all, but…I remember the look that quickly followed his stunned expression last time.

Just as I start to slowly crawl off of him in shame, his mouth curls in a dark smirk of pure mischief and amusement.

"Is Prairie Dog… _ticklish?"_ He asks, causing my stomach to drop as he rolls over and starts to get up on all fours with that intrigued expression of his.

"No," I lie, but it's obvious. It's _so_ obvious and Kokichi isn't stupid. His grin only widens.

It's the kind of grin that threatens suffering.

 _"No…"_ I say again, this time in a broken pathetic whimper as I ready myself to bolt at any moment. From the look on his face, he's ready for that moment.

There's a second of silence, the two of us frozen in place.

I'm absolutely embarrassed. This isn't the kind of weakness I wanted _Kokichi_ to learn about.

…

Time to go.

I turn to get up and Kokichi laughs, grabbing my sides again and yanking me back to the floor with him where he pins me back to the ground and easily swats away my hands. I shriek- practically sounding like I'm in the process of getting murdered.

When Kokichi starts to actually tickle my sides and stomach however, my shrieks morph into uncontrollable giggles intermingled with squeals as I try to fight the rat off.

"NO! STOP! P-PLEASE!" I laugh, squirming under him furiously. All of a sudden, I can't even muster the strength to try and throw him off of me. This is humiliating! _"KOKICHI!"_

"Ah, say my name again in that funny squeal, you sound like a little piggy~" he teases, unfortunately in a much better mood than he was moments ago. "Wow, Prairie Dog, you look pathetic! If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were actually enjoying this!"

"I'M NOT!" I squeal.

"Jeez, you're so loud. Hey, Prairie Dog, just admit you're enjoying yourself and I'll stop! You sound so giggly and stuff, Nishishi~!" Kokichi laughs to my horror. Everything feels sensitive and tingly…actually, I don't know how I feel about it. I don't really hate it, I guess it's kind of nice in a way I've never experienced before, but…

LIKE HELL I'LL TELL HIM THAT.

Admittedly, I can already tell I'm not really fighting as hard as I technically could. I gasp for air, heart thumping violently in my ribcage as I manage to finally grab his hands and shove them up and away from my sides. Kokichi is still grinning, eyeing me curiously when he pushes against my resistance to tickle me again and I breathlessly extend my arms to push his hands further away.

"...You like this. No one normal behaves like _that_ if they actually hated it," Kokichi snickers, suddenly snatching his hand from mine to dive in with the tip of his finger and poke my side. I yelp really loud. "Boop!"

I grab his hand again, shoving it back with a scowl. After a moment of silence where I'm starting to get my breathing under control and Kokichi has moved away to give me space, he hums in interest.

"Actually, now that I think about it…that's kind of gross, don't you think? You're dirtier than I initially thought, Prairie Dog. I almost don't wanna be in the same room with you!" Kokichi states, getting up on his feet and looking down at me where I'm still catching my breath.

 _Huh? What's he talking about?_

I'm still composing myself, but I manage to lift my head and give him an inquisitive look that prompts him to cock his head slightly to the side.

"...You don't know what I'm talking about, do you? Pfft. You're so innocent," Kokichi remarks with a chuckle as he turns and walks back through my room doorway.

...Wait.

 ** _Hey_** _! ...Oh, whatever. At least he isn't horribly moody anymore. I could try and ask what had him so upset and stuff, but he's likely to play it off as a lie, change the subject, or altogether dismiss it entirely like he did with me asking him how he got the hotel key._

"By the way, are you everplanning on telling me about how you got the-" I stop myself when I shift to get up on my knees, half slipping out of the rectangle of light spilling out of the hotel room. Finding myself staring into an unnatural dark hallway, I blink and my thought process derails from the hotel key entirely.

"The Love Suite key? Nah, I don't think I will, but thank you for asking," he answers pleasantly, even though I'm standing up and focused on looking down each end of the hall for anything out of place. It's easier to see now that I'm standing in the shadow and not being blinded by the light from my hotel room...and I can see the room next door, particularly the one I was using prior to the Misfortunate Momota incident, is open just a crack.

The room itself is pitch black on the inside from what I can see, even more so than the level of darkness in the hallway. It's kind of strange, I've never seen the lights in the hallway turned off before when I was peeking out every now and then. In fact, that extends to the hotel rooms as well, but even in this darkness I can't see any light escaping between the cracks of the series of doors.

I open my mouth to ask Kokichi something, but then let my lips come together and allow myself to let go of the inquiry.

If something odd is going on and someone's in that room...I don't want to alarm them by first asking Kokichi if he's opened any doors or played with the lights.

Leaning back to look in my current room for a moment, I can see Kokichi has returned to the bed and is reclined comfortably with one leg propped up over his other knee as he stares up again from where he's laying. He doesn't seem to notice anything odd...probably because this is only his first night here, I guess.

 _I'll check out the other room just to be safe. If it's clear of any suspicion, I'll just come back and ask him._

I step back into the darkness and take quiet steps towards the hotel room, seeing my sign still attached to the door. With a somewhat nervous feeling swirling in my stomach, I push open the door gently until I'm greeted with pitch black darkness. The door stops just enough to allow me to step in and feel around the wall for a light switch. Is there a light switch though? I don't actually remember seeing one even in the room I'm currently in now.

Hm...it's super dark though. Should I really go in alone?

…

Who cares.

I step in more when I'm unable to find anything in the immediate area, throwing up my arms with a nasty face of vexation. Where's the stupid light switch?! Is there really no switch?

Taking another few steps in, I immediately freeze dead when I feel something damp under my feet, my breath hitching sharply as I process the feeling. There's also something small and pointy in particular pressing against my heel- similar to the feeling of a sharp pebble in the shoe.

 _What is that? Why is it wet here?_

My imagination runs wild at the thought, enough that I can't help but bend down and press a hand against the carpet curiously. Oh, it's definitely wet. I really hope Kokichi took a shower in this room and trailed water out from the bathroom or something.

As I shift carefully so I can move to the side and examine how large the spot is with my hands as my only guide, I wrinkling my nose when I get closer to the wet spot. Thankfully it doesn't smell like blood or anything, and that's enough to calm me down substantially. Thing is...it doesn't smell odorless like water either. It has a distinct subtle scent, but I can't for the life of me pinpoint the identity of the smell no matter how many sniffs I give- even when I lean down more to get a better whiff.

It smells chemical- almost like the smell...of medicine…

And with that, my heart jumps to my throat again. There's really only one person at this current time I imagine would need medical assistance at the moment, someone that could likewise professionally administer said medical assistance.

Presumably, even on herself if she had to.

I'm just about to stand up and bolt for the door when it makes an audible slamming sound, the pitiful light that had been just barely making its way into the hallway now completely blocked off as I jump up to my feet and make a hasty walk for the bed.

Footsteps thud against the floor.

Footsteps headed straight towards me.

Just as my leg hits the noticeable raised steps towards the bed, I take advantage of the darkness by allowing my intuition to lead the rest of the way. I at least have a recollection of what the beds here look like.

 _It should be the same dimensions as what I remember, so-!_

I race around the step and feel around until I reach a column, one of two sitting either side of the headboard. Putting my Ultimate Talent to use, even if this isn't a rocky vertical terrain, I scramble straight up the stone structure.

A sharp yelp of pain escapes me when something sharp cuts across my right calf, the only pain once I'm high enough to swing over the top of the carousel hood over the bed. I can hear the knife hit stone and the sound of it scraping across the hard material, just as I hear footsteps running down the hall just outside the room.

 _Don't tell me that rat heard me_ _and he's…_ _!_

"Prairie Dog?" I hear Kokichi ask as he opens the door curiously.

"Stay back, Kokichi! There's-!"

More footsteps and then Kokichi lets out a pained grunt, followed by a thud like a body falling. Since it's so dark, I can only assume the worst as I scramble to hop down again even before I hear one set of footsteps begin running down the hall outside the room. Who those belong to, I don't know, but something tells me it's more than likely _not_ Kokichi's, and rather the aggressive individual that we'd found hiding in here.

"Kokichi? Where are you? Are you okay?!" I ask, still more or less blind as I hear a grunt of annoyance.

"Here. And no," he growls, very much unhappy once again. "What the hell was that? And why did you just go wandering off?"

"I-I saw my old room door was open a little and thought it was weird that all the lights besides our room light was off…I was worried, so I went to check it out," I say, before noticing something a little irritating about his words that make me scowl and add, "What, am I not allowed to go anywhere without you or something?"

"Psh, no dumbass. You must have some earwax in those ears, but I was talking and it turned out the only one listening was the wall," Kokichi complains.

 _…Has Kokichi ever called me by a curse word?_

"You're definitely okay," I huff, standing up and making my way back to the room without him since I'm currently bleeding out from my leg. Not that he's about to ask _me_ if I'm alright…callous jerk.

"Hey, no I'm not! I feel horrible, ohhh the pain! I need a kiss from you to make the hurt go away! You can't leave me like this, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi begs, all of a sudden sounding more like a kid in need of attention. Playing up his little acting chops isn't about to make me turn around after what he called me though, that's for sure.

"Who's Prairie Dog? Apparently, I'm dumbass," I correct him snootily, hearing him laugh a little from where I've left him. At least he's able to get up, judging by how quickly he jumps to his feet and catches up with me in the hall.

 _There was definitely someone in there, but…I couldn't tell if it was Kirumi. Why are all the lights off though? It didn't seem like she was trying to set up a trap, I mean, Kokichi has clearly been here for a while and he could just have easily waltzed in there instead of me. Furthermore, the best chance to attack would have been the second I stepped into the room to begin with. This was kinda sloppy._

 _It felt more like I was…unexpected._

Entering the lit hotel room with Kokichi, I eventually make my way to the mirror and turn my leg to see the damage. There's a dull ache that becomes more noticeable and hard to ignore whenever I take a step, but I'm at least okay for the most part. The deep gash just looksworse than it actually is.

"Ouch," Kokichi remarks as I make my way to the bathroom and lift my leg up to the sink. Once I have it steady and at a good view, I rinse the wound off as best I can. "So, did you see who it was in there?"

"No, it was way too dark for me. I didn't even feel anything other than the knife, to be honest…what about you?" I ask dismissively, assuming he didn't register anything either considering he's the one asking me in the first place. Of course to my surprise…

"Tits."

I pause mid rinse, turning my head to give him an appalled look. He doesn't appear even slightly ashamed by his statement, even tucking the first aid kit he's carrying under his armpit so he can hold up his hands to cup the air in front of his chest. It's almost funny how serious he looks saying and doing that.

"When she shoved rudely into me, I felt boobs," Kokichi claims, to which my face heats up considerably. It's hard to look away, and I'm not really sure why...but what sort of gesture is _that?!_

"D-Do you _have_ to be vulgar about them? I know what boobs are, you don't need to make weird motions or-"

Kokichi cuts me off by making a squeezing motion in the air at his chest, followed closely by him laughing and shielding his face when I growl and throw a few splashes of water his way furiously.

"And here I only thought there was _one_ Ultimate Pervert among us…" I grumble, shutting the sink off and grabbing a small towel to carefully dry off my leg.

"Oh? Who's the other one?" Kokichi asks. He doesn't sound at all insulted by my remark, rather he sounds curious about it.

"Saihara," I answer, followed by Kokichi letting out a sputter of laughter to the side. I'm not sure if he believes me or not, but there's nothing that's gonna change my own mind about the Ultimate Detective at the very least. Not after the most recent incident with Shuichi.

"Of all people! Well…I guess I could see it. If you ask me-"

"I didn't ask you," I try to shut him up quickly, because my brain already senses that he's about to say something I'm not gonna like. Of course, he opens his stupid mouth anyways.

"I think you fit in the mold of an Ultimate Pervert pretty well yourself!"

I gasp in offense, which only seems to entertain Kokichi.

 _"Me?!_ What are you talking about? No I wouldn't!" I object, hearing him hiss a bit of air in between his teeth like he pities me. "What's that reaction for?! You're crazy. Go away."

"This coming from the girl that ten minutes ago was all over me going, 'Yes, Rantarooo~ You can paint my nails and brush my haiiir~'!" Kokichi mocks in a falsetto voice, prompting my face to rise several degrees hotter with shame and embarrassment.

 _My dream…I was sleep talking?!_

"T-That's-" I stammer, before snatching the first aid kit from him when he holds it out to me with a smirk. I can barely hold eye contact with him now. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? You don't know…? Why are you blushing so much then?" He asks, putting on an innocent wide eyed look and making it rather obvious that my lies are as pathetic as they've always been. "You look pretty constipated right now…good thing there's a toilet here if you need to drop anything!"

"I'm not freaking-! Stop being _gross!"_ I complain, turning to look at him as I snatch the curved needle out of the kit and try to focus on what I'm about to do despite my warm face. Come to think of it…I don't know anything about how to apply stitches. I only know how to clean wounds because Rantaro did it several times for me before.

 _Shoot. Is there an instruction booklet in this kit? No? Of course there isn't...Monokuma just couldn't provide one for me, could he?_

Seeing me hesitate with the needle, Kokichi reaches over and shifts my leg to wash his hands in the sink I have it propped against. Once they're clean and damp, he plucks the needle from my fingers before I can stop him.

"Get ready for some pinchies, Mousey-mouse," Kokichi comments, making me scowl and then wince when he takes the curved needle and begins to pierce the edges of my skin. My whine of discomfort falls on deaf ears, but I eventually get used to the feeling as Kokichi gradually seals up the gash and dabs more drops of blood away with the edge of my damp towel. "You just need _everyone_ to take care of you, don't you?"

"I didn't ask you to do this…I could have figured it out myself," I huff indignantly, which earns me a dubious hum from Kokichi as he moves my leg to get a better look at the rest of the gash and retorts casually with, "You mean you could have figured out how to get yourself gangrene."

I puff up my cheeks in disapproval, even though I know he's totally right.

…

 _I still want to see what was with that room. I know there was a wet patch, but I want to see the rest of the room. I don't understand what any of us would be doing there at this time of night…_

 _What time is it?_

Glancing at my kidwatch and seeing the numbers flash on the square screen, I'm honestly surprised to see it's already a little past morning hours. I guess in here it's harder to tell since there aren't any windows or announcement displays where the kubs announce morning or night hours.

 _Okay, so that means "guests" are able to enter already. What happened to the Love Suite Event last night though? Were we visited by a visitor? Hm…_

 _…?!_

 _Wait! But then…! How did_ ** _Kokichi_** _enter the hotel? He entered my room at midnight, but the last time anyone can be entering the hotel is before ten pm! Furthermore, that makes the fact he brought hot food all the weirder!_

"Kokichi, what time did you enter the hotel yesterday?" I ask as Kokichi finishes sealing the wound and makes a tie at the end of the string. He innocently hums after sweeping a little alcohol over the stitches, makes me whine and scowl his way as a result of his reaction. Funny he does that when I ask him a question I know he probably doesn't want to answer…

"The time, the time...well, to be honest, I don't really remember, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi very obviously lies, taping gauze over my stitches while I glare at him pointedly. I want an answer to something important and all he wants to do is bug, bug, _bug._ Why can't he be serious for once?

"Never mind, forget I asked. Thanks for the help," I snap with little gratuity, irritated as I turn the rat around and push Kokichi out of the bathroom quickly. As soon as he steps out, I purposefully slam the door on his behind and smirk when he yelps in an uncharacteristic manner.

Okay, I feel a _little_ better.

"WAAAAHHH! Prairie Dog, you're such a BULLY! After I nearly _broke_ my fingers trying to get that needle through your nasty armadillo skin, this is how you _treat me?!_ " Kokichi dramatically sobs from the other side as I disrobe and start changing into my ultimate outfit.

 _He has been around me much too long already. I should have just left the room when he started being a pain._

Once I have everything and my boots pulled on, I step out of the bathroom in time to see Kokichi jump up from sitting on the floor. To my surprise, he's already gathered his things and wearing his shoes, looking mega excited much to my irritation.

"So, where are we going?" He asks brightly.

"UGH."

Rather than saying anything else, I hurry past him and towards the door in hopes that I can maybe outspeed him. He of course speeds up to meet my walking pace easily. I speed up some more, enough that my legs start to burn a little.

"You're gonna tear those stitches and who's gonna fix them for you next time?" He points out, likely in an effort to get me to stop.

Kokichi...really should already know that I hate doing things I'm told to do. I don't care how logical the excuse is, but I hate it being implied I shouldn't do something for any reason other than my own.

So with that, I speed up even more and storm down the stairs to the first floor. I can hear him following and leave him to decide whether to continue or give up as I speed out of the hotel and casino area towards the main academy building.

"P-Prairie?!" This sounds like it's coming from Kiibo somewhere around, but I just ignore the voice and continue my march into the school.

I can feel the stitches objecting to the abuse being done to my leg, but it isn't enough to stop my rebellious nature.

 _If they rip, I'll fix it myself. I saw him apply the stitches and I can replicate it if I have to._

Once I reach the warehouse and come to a slow stop, I realize the aching in my calf has gotten...sorta worse.

Oops.

"Kokichi! Prairie!" I ignore Kiibo again and focus on looking around. I'll just let Kiibo be Kokichi's punching bag while I try to find the flashlights in this place...maybe I can sneak out of here and ditch Kokichi in the process too. "Eh? Prairie, is that _blood_ on your leg? What ha-?"

"Yeah! I just stitched it up for her too, isn't that so rude? All my hard work has gone to waste!" Kokichi complains, sounding eager to get a word in. "I even straightened her hair all neat yesterday night and she ruined it the moment I turned the other way!"

"What? Wait, you were with her yesterday? H-How did you get a hotel key? You've hardly gone in the casino at all!" Kiibo exclaims, audibly confounded by the revelation. So...no one knew Kokichi was with me?

"How do _you_ know? What if I've been sitting on all these casino coins and you just never noticed?" Kokichi points out, prompting me to roll my eyes. Somehow I don't believe that...but if he's saying that, it makes sense considering Kiibo has just mentioned that Kokichi has hardly been in the casino. How else could he have gotten the key if he wasn't in the casino?

"Hey, hey, Kiiboy? What did Monokuma tell us when Shuichi tried to give his key to Runturdo?" Kokichi inquires innocently. "Tell Prairie Dog."

"Oh, um…'students that lend their hotel key to another student will have their key confiscated permanently and must purchase a brand new hotel key if they are to enter Hotel Kumasutra'. That's what I recall from my memory bank."

I dig into a bin and pull out one of several zipped duffel bags, pulling it open and smiling when I see a pair of large flashlights for my taking. Testing the switch and brightness on both, it looks like they'll do the job in that dark hotel room for the most part. I'm just about to turn and leave when I notice the disposable cameras in a bin beside the flashlights. It might be a good idea to take two of those, right? Yeah, I think I'll just shove a pair in the bag too.

 _Alright, so that's done...but I sort of don't wanna leave yet if Kokichi's about to finally say how he got the stupid hotel key. He's being so vague and he was dodging the question so much before, so I'm really curious._

"Hm...so that's what he said. Kiiboy, let's say I stole the key. Snatched it right off of someone or something. Hypothetically speaking of course~! Now, that's not the same as _'lending'_ a hotel key to someone, is it?" Kokichi asks with innocent curiosity, prompting me to swivel my head right around to gape at the rat with amethyst streaks in his hair.

"Kokichi, did you steal that key off of Shuichi?!" I demand, marching right up to him and yanking the zipper of the duffel bag shut.

"Noooo! I said 'hypothetically', I swear!" Kokichi turns to face me and then starts backing up when I continue to advance towards him. I had to deal with him for several hours and all for what? To learn he just jacked the key off of the person I'd been worried about and was waiting to see this _whole_ time…! "I promise I'm not lying, Prairie Dog, I-"

He turns when I lunge for him, racing straight out of the warehouse so that I begin making a chase after him despite my aching calf.

"Get back here you stupid rat!" I shout, swinging the duffel bag over my arm and charging after him.

"W-Wait! Prairie, don't you think you should go see-" Kiibo calls after me, prompting me to snap back, "Not now, Kiibo! Can't you see I'm about to beat the living crap out of this filthy urchin?! Whoever it is can WAIT."

Kiibo sounds like he's not sure what to do, his words twisted together like he's trying and failing to get something cohesive out fast. Unfortunately, he doesn't get the words out in time since Kokichi and I are much too far now.

"I said I wasn't lying!" Kokichi has the audacity to sob as I chase him towards the dining hall.

"Liar!" I accuse, making the effort to speed up just a little as I enter the dining hall and pounce.

 _I've got him!_

Arms snap around me suddenly just as I'm about to complete the jump and sink my fingernails into Kokichi, prompting me to hang in midair from someone's grip as Kokichi dashes out of the dining hall and out through the other door.

 _No, he got away!_

Furious, I wriggle wildly in the arms of my assailant, prepped to punch whoever's had the audacity to stop me from delivering righteous justice. I know I want to get back to the hotel as soon as possible.

"Hey, let go of me! I almost had him and you-!" I cut myself off when I feel the arms squeeze me tighter, making me fall silent as a chill climbs up my spine in mild fear. Well, fear might be overstating it, but if I'm to guess who exactly is holding me right now...and who stopped me from beating Kokichi Oma up for being a prick…

 _Please don't be Rantaro, please don't be Rantaro, please don't be Rantaro…_

It's not that I wouldn't be elated or thrilled to see him, I've missed him a lot. I _want_ to see him.

I just don't want THIS to be how he sees me again. Me chasing Kokichi with an obvious bloodthirsty intent, I mean.

"Prairie~!" The voice exclaims, a cheek pressing against mine as I register the voice and feel myself relax and grow excited. Why? This person would _never_ scold me for trying to beat Kokichi up! "I'm so glad to see you're okay, I just _knew_ you would be!"

"Tenko!" I chirp, swinging my legs back and forth cheerfully before she sets me down and I turn to look up at her. She looks as organized as always, a small crumb of bread stuck to her cheek that I brush away with a smile. That's kinda cute. "A-Are you cooking?"

"Ah, yes, that's right! We heard about Kirumi and what she did, but we haven't seen her around much. Since she's done what she's done, we're all just cooking for ourselves. I'll be honest, it's pretty scary knowing someone that tried to kill is walking around…! But don't worry, if I see her, I'm gonna teach her a valuable lesson for trying to hurt you! I'm still the Ultimate Aikido Master!" Tenko claims, taking a fighting stance proudly. "Are you hungry? I'm still making some food, but it should be ready soon. Only if you want, of course!"

"Oh, um, I actually need to get something done in the hotel right now. I'm just out and about for this thing," I say, holding up the flashlight at my side. Tenko almost looks a bit sad by the decline so I can't help but immediately add, "B-But, I can come eat after! It shouldn't take too long."

She brightens up at that note.

"Okay, I'll make extra! Himiko should be getting up soon in about an hour...she said she only needed to do laundry before breakfast, but that should only take a few minutes after she gets up. Does that sound like a good time?" Tenko asks, making me nod confidently. "Perfect! I'll see you then! Proceed with kicking that annoying little menace in the ass, Prairie!"

 _She didn't ask me about where I'd been all this time prior to Maki reporting to them about Kirumi trying to murder me...well, she might ask me later when she knows I'm not in a hurry anymore._

"You got it~!" I simply giggle, turning to run out the back door where I'd seen Kokichi running. Once I've pushed open the door and have stepped out, I turn to see Kokichi leaning against the wall beside the door like he's been waiting for ages. He turns his head and then pushes off of the wall, stretching and cracking his back like he had when we first woke up. Once he has loosened up, he groans obnoxiously. "Wow, you girls talk _forever!_ Am I invited to breakfast with Himiko and Tenko too?"

"No, you are NOT, degenerate male! Make your own pathetic food!" I hear Tenko calling out from the dining hall, prompting a smile to form at my lips as I let the door close behind me and fall into step with Kokichi.

"My food isn't pathetic, everyone that's eaten my cooking _loves_ my food," Kokichi proudly states. It's hard to imagine Kokichi as a cook, but...well, I didn't picture him to be good at medical stuff either and yet he could stitch my leg up just fine.

"Whatever floats your boat. Anyways, back to the subject we were originally discussing," I state, ready to continue the topic even when Kokichi lets out a hum of amusement.

"You mean the subject that caused you to go feral?" Kokichi asks. I wave a hand in the air, dismissing the details. "Alright, alright...so I stole the key off of Shuichi. Can you blame me for wanting to see my sweet, indecently dressed Prairie Dog- _Nishishi!"_ He steps away just as I move to swat him, grinning at the look of irritation returning to my face.

"You're a nightmare, so yes. I _can_ blame you. I'd rather deal with Doormat Perv-hara over you any day of the week. The longer I'm stuck around you, the more I'mtempted to find Kirumi and ask her to do me the favor and release me of my worldly concerns," I scoff with a scowl, allowing him to trail along after me when I speed up my walking pace. "Why are you following me around so much anyways?"

"To make your life a living nightmare," Kokichi answers with this bold upbeat smile. Figures he would answer like that.

... _I still don't understand how the heck he managed to enter the hotel with hot food. If Rantaro cooked it, he wouldn't have cooked any later than ten pm because there would be no way for Shuichi or Kokichi to enter the hotel past that hour. Even just stepping out would count as "leaving", wouldn't it? So that's not possible._

I open my mouth to ask, but then close it and decide against it. He's been very uncooperative with my questions for some reason, so it's probably no use. What's the point of asking if he's not going to answer me?

Besides, what do I care? He's not related to the incident of that mystery person attacking me in my old room.

"What is it, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi surprisingly asks, making me roll my eyes and shake my head.

"Nothing important…" I mumble, leading the way down the path towards the Kumasutra Hotel. At my response, Kokichi makes a whining noise of complaint.

"But I wanna know," he says, linking his arm with mine as we walk. Considering he doesn't give me the time of the day with my queries, I just shrug his arm off and ignore his pleading noises as I push open the doors.

In the lobby, I yank my arm from Kokichi and pull the duffel bag off. Taking one flashlight out and flicking it on, I'm pleased to see just how much light coats the room.

"There we go," I comment, reaching into the bag to hand Kokichi the spare light. He takes it with a grin, flicking it on and following me up the stairs until we reach the specific two open doors in the hotel. One is the brightly lit room we were using for the night, and the other is the pitch black room where we found an unknown student lurking about.

Stepping into the dark room, I immediately shine the light in the general area I remember the wet spot to be, taking a few steps in and getting down to feel around with my hands. I can't see it, but I click my tongue with disdain when I feel the damp section. I should have remembered about the ugly black and red marble design of the carpet...even if someone had dropped wine or marinara sauce on the darn thing, there's no way I'd be able to see the stain- cleaned off or not.

"Stupid ugly carpet…" I grumble, Kokichi leaning down beside me to feel the carpet with me.

"Whooa, Prairie Dog...don't tell me that lady scared you so much you had an accident-" Kokichi says, causing me to pointedly turn to shine the light at his face. He makes a noise of objection and turns his face the other way to protect his eyes.

"Are you sure the person that ran past you was a girl? How do you know you felt...breasts?" I ask, feeling my tone grow sheepish on the last word. Kokichi to reaches out and points my light down so I'm not blinding him anymore, clearing his throat.

"Trust me, I know what tits feel like. One of my favorites at my organization's headquarters is a bombshell with hers, and unfortunately she never lets all of us there forget it," Kokichi explains, much to my irritation.

"'Bombshell'?" I echo quietly, feeling just a twinge of sharp irritation at his words. Kokichi knows women like that…? What sort of crazy 'bombshell' woman would be anywhere _near_ this annoying rat? And on top of that, one that is described as bold enough that Kokichi would know what her chest feels like and would refer to her as his 'favorite'?"

 _Pig. Kokichi...is a pig._

 _I don't think I believe him on any of that either._

Trying to wring out the questionable annoyance from my system and ignore the accusatory thoughts my brain is trying to tell me, I shine the light past the wet area where I see a large sparkle on the ground. It looks like there's glitter on the floor...but there's one larger piece that I reach out and collect so I can get a closer look.

...It's a piece of broken glass. I'm not sure how it got here, as far as I know there's nothing in the hotel room made of glass.

"Weird," Kokichi comments, making me turn my head to see his light shining over the rack in the right corner of the room where the BDSM tools are lined up.

"Eh? What is it?"

"Hm...I'm gonna give the other rooms a quick look and I'll be right back. Keep looking around if you want," Kokichi comments dismissively, turning his light in the opposite direction and standing. I wait until he's completely out of the room to scoff under my breath.

"His 'favorite'...that's so stupid," I mutter, pocketing the shard of glass and bringing out one of the camera packages. I rip it open with my teeth angrily as I let the rage build up inside. He didn't answer me and his demeanor changed. He's obviously noticed something, but decided he couldn't be bothered to clue me, the jerk.

Oh, but I guess that's because I'm not a _'favorite'_ or anything.

Stupid Oma and his stupid fake organization…

 _If you know it's fake and that the lackeys he's talking about are likely fake too, why are you so angry?_

 _I'm not angry about that! He's keeping information from me even though looking through this room was_ _ **my idea**!_ _Everything Rat Face does pisses me off! Screw him and his stupid 'favorite' big jugged girlfriend!_

I hurl the wrapper of the camera away, tucking my flashlight under my arm and turning the reel of the film until it clicks. Alright, let's take a photo of the area where the wet chemical spot is…

Stepping back a bit, I make sure I have the flash on and take a picture of the floor, the room lighting up entirely just enough for me to make something out that I didn't notice before. My temper cools a little as I grab my light and shine it at the bed, walking closer to look at the duvet.

Or rather, the _lack_ of a duvet. All that's on the bed is the pillows with the hearts and diamonds printed on it, along with the plain white sheets. The duvet is missing entirely.

Curious to find it, I duck down and look under the bed before traversing the room. It's nowhere, not even in the bathroom, so I take a picture of the bed itself before moving to the corner of the room where Kokichi had been examining the BDSM corner.

 _Now, since he won't tell me, what did he notice…?_

I stand there with my flashlight to the rack, heart going a steady normal beat even though I know what I'm searching for. Incriminating evidence. Since I noticed the lights off in the hallway and the door ajar to this room, I've felt just a tad bit awful even with Kokichi around to distract me.

Maybe because I have suspicions of what this could mean in the grand scheme of things.

For breakfast, everyone (likely excluding Kirumi) is going to gather up in the dining hall. As long as I get there at the time Tenko has invited me and Himiko to have breakfast with her, every student is likely to be in there at that time. We'll be able to confirm nothing bad has happened.

I take a picture of the rack before even realizing what I'm doing, only to feel my brain snap into business when something hits me. The rack seems a little spacey...are there things missing?

…

I turn to jog out of the room, heading over to my own room just as Kokichi is stepping out into the hall from the room directly across from my own with a contemplative expression across his face that's barely illuminated by the light from my hotel room. I pass him without sparing a word, stopping in my doorway and glancing towards the rack at the right corner of the room.

 _The chains and rope from that other room are missing. I guess I can assume Kokichi was searching the other rooms to see if anything else had disappeared?_

With that thought in mind, I decidedly start going through every other room on the floor. It takes a bit of time and who knows what Kokichi does in that time since I've chosen to ignore him, but I eventually get more photos of rooms on the second story floor that tells me three other random rooms are missing chains from their racks.

 _Why would anyone need any chains?_

"Hey, Prairie Dog! Aren't you going to meet up with your crazy girlfriend right about now? It's already almost nine-thirty and I'm bored wandering around here!" Kokichi complains as I'm leaving the last room I've needed to check.

"What, do you need my permission to leave?" I ask dryly without sparing him a glance, giving him the cold shoulder as I tuck the used camera in my pocket and start heading for the stairs anyways. I'm leaving, yeah, but not because he's reminded me. It's just that I've finished looking around this place and I'm hungry.

The rat can do whatever he wants so long as he leaves me alone.

"Huh? Why won't you look at me? Did I say something to get on your shit list again? Prairie Dooooggg…" Kokichi asks as I make my way to the stairs and put down the duffel bag with the flashlight on the ground out of the walking path. I don't need them anymore, I have the camera and that's all I need in case I'm right about something fishy going on.

I waltz out of the hotel without a care, continuing to ignore Kokichi's whining and complaints for my attention as I head into the school after scanning the field. It's strange returning to the school and leaving Hotel Kumasutra...I could run into Rantaro at any moment.

 _Not that it would be a bad thing, but I don't think I'm emotionally prepared yet. Maybe I'll go find Himiko first so we can walk together to get breakfast- that should give me enough time to psych myself up to see him!_

"Tell Tenko I'm gonna get Himiko and I'll see her in a few minutes," I simply say to Kokichi when we pass the dining hall, noting as he leaves my peripheral vision and releases the arm of mine he'd been pulling on for my attention.

"I don't want to! Meanie!" Kokichi shouts after me when I continue to walk. At least he isn't going to follow me, so I'll take this as a win!

 _Idiot Oma. You were the one being a meanie first, so ha._

By the time I've reached the Ultimate Maid's lab, my back has straightened with anxiety at the sight of the life-sized dolls seated at the dining table in the middle of the room. Although my legs brought me here, I had almost forgot Kirumi's lab was where all the laundry machines were located.

 _I'm not likely to run into Kirumi anytime, am I? I don't want to deal with running away from another student filled with bloodlust again!_

"Prairie…? You don't look like you're here for laundry…" I hear Himiko say, only to jump when I realize she's sitting at the dining table with the dolls. She lifts her head and fixes her hat, making me blink in surprise. I didn't even notice she was there! She's so lazy she blends into the environment too?

"Oh, Tenko invited me to breakfast and said she was also cooking for you. I figured we could just walk together after," I say as I gravitate towards the dining table, only to notice a bag beside her on the table that seems to be full of pieces to her ultimate outfit. They're dry and they don't look dirty, but...something tells me Himiko isn't half-asleep on the table because she's tired from the hard work. "...You haven't started, have you?"

"Nyeh...I don't actually know how to use laundry machines...I asked Angie for help, but she hasn't showed up yet," Himiko comments, prompting my stomach to swirl nervously at that note. Angie is late to do laundry with Himiko…

 _I really hope it has nothing to do with the weirdness in the hotel._

"I don't mind helping, I know the basics. Here, let's go," I reassure her, watching as she sighs and looks at the bag of laundry beside her in obvious disdain.

"What a pain," she responds, but still gets up and drags the bag behind her when I lead her to the first washing machine. I open the door and look in, only to scowl when I see a metal mop bucket greet me. "...Who was dumb enough to put that there?"

I shrug and reach in to tilt it a little, scrunching my nose at the scent of bleach. There's a large piece of white fabric shoved inside of it, one that looks like it's practically about to overflow out into the washing machine entirely. Even if we took it out, we'd risk there being bleach somewhere in the machine and Himiko's outfits could end up spotted…

"Forget about it, let's just try the next-"

Opening the door is simple enough again. It's locked in place, but a quick turn of the handle allows us to see whether it's empty.

It's not.

We stare for a long time, the two of us blinking curiously at the sight before us. The washing machine is pretty large and it would definitely fit Himiko's clothes considering how small her bag is. Heck if we wanted to, Himiko and I could just as easily fit inside of one of these things no problem. We're both small and can easily hide in there if we had to, although we'd have to have our own separate machines.

Now…

The question isn't how Ryoma managed to get inside the washing machine. Rather, the question is why he is laying there inside of said washing machine with wide eyes like we've just caught him doing something heinous or illegal.

His eyes stare blankly at us for a bit, but they don't jump from me to Himiko with uncertainty at the situation. Rather, he just sits there with his back against the side of the curved machine walls frozen like a statue

There's no way for me to tell how long I've been standing there holding the washing machine door open. I don't know how long Himiko and I have been staring at him, waiting for the Ultimate Tennis Player to react. To even just blink or make a noise.

He doesn't.

And eventually that's what has Himiko Yumeno screaming bloody murder into my ear at the realization that, yes, we have found a body.

And yes.

The killing game has kicked up again.

 ** _End of 3.15 - Unfolding A Mystery_**


	45. 3:16 - Games With The Heart

❀ _**3.16 - Games With The Heart**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Calm down!" I shout to the red haired girl currently blowing my eardrums out with her scream, grabbing her arm and giving her a shake to snap her out of her shock if only for a moment. "Stay with me for a second, if _you_ panic, _I'm_ gonna panic!"

Himiko seems to understand my sentiments and her scream reduces to shaky breaths of disbelief. She's obviously still panicked, but I can't really blame her for the reaction considering I'm not any less freaked out myself. Ryoma _looks_ like he's still alive- his eyes open wide as if he himself is consciously acknowledging that this situation is startling. In more ways than one, it's disturbing to see that look on his face since he's clearly unresponsive, but I do my best to keep my own shriek of horror inside me. Freaking out won't help our situation.

 _Ding-Dong! Bing-Bong!_

Ah, there it is. The announcement.

 _Wait...but there's only two people here? Isn't the rule that three people need to witness the presence of a body for the announcement to go off?_

"What's going on in here?! Who's screaming? Are you okay?!"

Both Himiko and I turn to see Kaito enter the room in visible panic, just as the announcement monitor in the lab switches on to reveal Monokuma with his all too familiar menacing half-smile.. As soon as Kaito's eyes find us, he seems momentarily caught off guard by my particular presence up until his eyes settle on the monitor. Himiko and I look up again, still huddled together nervously.

 _"A body has been discovered! Everyone! Please make your way to the Ultimate Maid's lab!"_

A confirmation of the nightmare before us. I can't even fully process it yet, even though I had my suspicions already because of the strangeness going on in Hotel Kumasutra.

"B-Body?!" Kaito asks as the announcement monitor flicks to black simultaneously with the audible click of the speakers shutting off. The tension in the air is thick like slime, coating us with heavy layers so that we almost seem rooted to our spots. "That's not true...we all agreed we wouldn't kill each other after what Miu did. I don't see a body around, what's that psycho bear going on about?"

He's asking that, but I'm pretty sure he can tell by our pale expressions that it's likely not a lie on Monokuma's part. Himiko and I are practically attached to each other from seeing Ryoma, and we scoot out of his way so he can look in the washing machine I'm still holding the door open to. Kaito doesn't immediately approach, looking from me to Himiko and back at the washing machine before his lips quirk in an uncertain nervous smile. He won't be able to see Ryoma unless he ducks his head and looks in...clearly he doesn't want to though.

It's not like people regularly line up to see corpses, much less the ones of people they know.

"What? Wait...you're pulling my leg, right? This is just a bad joke? Prairie, have you been hanging around to Kokichi too much lately...?" Kaito asks, obviously reluctant to believe or even see the truth currently sitting like a rag doll in the washing machine. Even though he's forced the words past his lips, he seems as if he doesn't even believe his own suggestion. When both Himiko and I simply continue to stare at him, he eventually gathers the nerve to walk up to us and peer lower into the washing machine before immediately reeling back at the sight. _"Ryoma?!"_

After Kaito blurts out his name, a beat of silence passes. There's no response from the corpse, even though I'm wishing for a response out of him regardless of the ghastly truth.

"He's...he's really dead then...?" Himiko asks timidly, breaking the silence for a second. When the silence rushes in to greedily reclaim its territory around us, Himiko's arm tightens around mine as if she's noticed something. She's quiet though, keeping her mouth shut like Kaito and I are.

 _Evidence. You need to search for evidence since you know what's going to happen this time around with a murder._

I begin to look around the room in mild confusion, following the simple commands of my brain. That's right...we're going to have to participate in a class trial to figure out how the murder occurred and who killed Ryoma in particular.

As I'm looking around, my eyes catch a dark patch under one of the power vacuum cleaners beside the low table in the cleaning room. That looks suspicious enough to investigate...

Finally regaining the sense to move around and search, I gently worm my arm out of Himiko's grip to walk over to the vacuums. Pushing the vacuum that's hiding the dark patch out of the way, I'm not too surprised to find a dried puddle of blood on the ground. It's enough to be disturbing, but still inconspicuous enough that simply rolling one of the vacuums over it would cover most of it- though not all, as it would appear.

The effort made to conceal it seems very...lacking. Why didn't they cover it with something else or even clean it up? Was there no time?

"...We need to find the bastard that did this, Prairie," I hear Kaito say as he joins me to look at the bloodstain, Himiko also peering at the additional mess with barely concealed discomfort. She hid her feelings much better with Kaede, but perhaps the fact this one caught her off guard chances things.

Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Player, and a guy that mostly kept to everyone else at arms length, is somehow dead...and taking a step back from the worst and obvious fact, that being his status as deceased, now we're all left to figure out the mystery of his death. A mystery surrounding the death of an individual who himself was a mysterious person altogether. I certainly didn't get to learn much about him. I was mostly around the others, a rather small selection at that.

 _Maybe you should have tried to get to know him a little better. Or better yet, try to get to know everyone like you and Korekiyo talked about that time._

"What's going on? Who-" Kiibo is cut off as he enters the room, yelping nearly getting stampeded over by Tenko as she barrels in like a star quarterback.

"Himiko? Prairie?!" She shouts, only seeming somewhat placated when she sees the two of us and jogs over to snatch us up in a hug that I'm personally more than happy to receive. "That body discovery announcement scared the pee out of me when I heard where it was...!"

"That's a little bit insensitive, Tenko! Are you saying you're okay with killings so long as it's not one of your favorites biting the bullet?" Kokichi's voice comes from the doorway as he strolls on into the room with us. He looks about as laid back as ever, a wide grin that doesn't match the proper reaction for an announcement having been made about a dead body appearing. "Ah well, I guess I understand. What would I do if Kiiboy was the body? I'd have to resort to bugging and teasing Prairie Dog even more than usual!"

 _"Menace,"_ Tenko hisses his way between clenched teeth, completely ignoring Himiko's eager attempts to escape the embrace forced on her, if going by the red haired girl's "nyeh"s of annoyance.

"Wait, is this really the time for meaningless banter? Kaito! Who is it? _Where_ is it?" Kiibo has the guts to ask, prompting Kaito to sigh and gesture to the washing machine behind us.

"See for yourself...Prairie and Himiko were the ones to find him, I only came in because I heard screaming," Kaito answers him, taking a seat on the table.

All together, Tenko, Kokichi, and Kiibo approach the washing machine. Tenko quickly backpedals when she catches sight of Ryoma's jarring state, much like Himiko and I did earlier.

"WAH! Why are his eyes open?! What sort of an expression is that?!" Tenko wails, obviously as disturbed as Himiko and I were to see it. Kiibo appears equally perturbed, but Kokichi only hums in thought as he peers in.

"Good for him! He got exactly what he wanted!" Kokichi eventually leans away from the washing machine to pleasantly comment, prompting me to leer at him in confusion. Not only is that cruel, but...what does he mean by Ryoma getting 'exactly what he wanted'? "He did say he didn't plan to survive the killing game, didn't he?"

"Listen, you _brat,"_ Katio stands up to his full height and squares his shoulders, whirling around to look Kokichi's way with a bit of a snarl. "Rantaro and Ryoma already had a whole ass argument about that- he agreed on trying to _survive_ that last time I checked! It's not funny to bring that up. Sometimes I wonder whether you're actually concerned about all this bullshit going on around us."

"Me? Not concerned?" Kokichi looks appalled, a worried expression soon crossing his fair features. "W-Why wouldn't I be? I want to be best friends with everyone as soon as possible, and we can only do that outside of this Killing Game...and I want to be best friends most _especially_ with you, Momota!"

 _My god, the smell of his lies are so potent, you'd think he'd just let rip a massive fart..._

It isn't until Kokichi sputters into a laugh that I realize everyone is staring at me, giving me the sense that something about this is off. Other than Kokichi, everyone else looks pretty disturbed as they turn my way. My slow brain eventually makes an assumption as to why.

"...I said that out loud, didn't I?" I ask in horror, looking down and feeling my face go several degrees hotter in mortification. It's warm enough that I quickly gather my hair in a bunch and hide my face in my curls. "I'm sorry...that's improper for the situation."

"I-It's alright! Kokichi's the one at fault to begin with anyways!" Kiibo says as he turns to Kokichi, just as more students fill the room. "Kokichi! Apologize to Prairie for your insensitivity!"

"Hmm...okay. But only if she tells me why she suddenly got so upset with me out of nowhere earlier," Kokichi answers with a smile of obvious amusement as he folds his arms behind his neck and looks my way.

"Huh? Monokuma said body found...?" Gonta inquires anxiously upon entering, although no one pays attention to him, Korekiyo, and Tsumugi as Kokichi keeps his gaze lasered into me for an answer. Gonta seems to sense the tension at that point, looking from me to Kokichi in obvious confusion. "W-What going on?"

I scowl, turning away from him as the embarrassment from my Freudian slip fades from my face and I'm able to drop my hair to cross my arms indignantly. "You're gross and every time you open your mouth, I want to commit Seppuku. There. Glad I could answer your stupid question with a stupid obvious answer."

"No, no, nooo...Prairie Dog, didn't I already tell you that you suck at lying? Why don't you want to tell me anyways? You're normally very mouthy about what's irritating about me!" Kokichi states, though I fall silent as a result of his pestering questions. Stupid Oma. "Aw, come on, don't go quiet on me all of a sudden~"

 _This is stupid. We have more important things to be worried about and this IQ deprived rat is once again only focusing on the insignificant things. He never tells me anything either, but it's not like_ _ **I**_ _keep pestering him after he makes it clear his mouth is staying shut!_

"Kokichi. Ryoma is dead. I'm not interested in entertaining you right now. Though if you want a broken nose to match your broken personality, I'd be happy to oblige on that note," I resort to saying, facing him again and taking a step towards him as I crack my knuckles in preparation.

Luckily for Kokichi, Kiibo grabs my arm along with Kaito to stop me when they realize I'm dead serious about my threat. Knowing that Kokichi probably believes himself to be impervious to my rage with everyone around us keeping my temper in check, I decide to push my threat a little more.

"You see these two dolts?" I ask Kokichi, pointing towards Kaito and Kiibo who appear curious as to where I'm going with my rhetorical question. "Don't think just because I'm small that they can stop me if I really decide I want to beat the ever-living crap out of you. You three will simply have matching faces to boot in the end."

Kaito and Kiibo look somewhat nervous by my admission, but they pull me back regardless. Kokichi on the other hand chuckles at my claims, violet irises still glued to me as he moves his arms to cross them over his chest thoughtfully.

"Damn, you're _really_ pissed at me..." Kokichi observes, even though I've backed down from attacking him this time.

"Ah. Prairie Marble is much more savage today than she's been on subsequent days...this should be interesting in light of the murder that's occurred," Korekiyo points out, though I'm still so irritated with Kokichi that I just carelessly brush off his comment insinuating I could somehow be Ryoma's murderer.

Voices fill the room as other students come in and I settle by the washing machine to brood menacingly beside Tenko and Himiko. They look curious as the glance from me to Kokichi and back, before one of them eventually breaks the silence among the chatter.

"Nyeh...why _are_ you mad at him? It feels different from other times..." Himiko speaks up as I readjust my gloves with a sharp glare on the fabric.

"Because he's a pig," I simply say, pushing away his words from before and only feeling angrier as they linger in my mind. It's not even that I'm just mad at only Kokichi now, but I'm also mad at myself.

I don't really understand why I'm _this_ angry about what he said. Sure, he's a pervert. So is Shuichi and even our friendly neighborhood robot Kiibo is a bit of one. I've been simply irritated at those aspects of theirs, even when I realized Kokichi was a pervert, but as soon as the rat mentioned having a "favorite well-endowed female bombshell friend", my irritation skyrocketed with him in particular.

It can't be that I'm...

...

...!

 _I refuse to entertain that possibility, there's just NO WAY I'm jealous._

I can still feel Kokichi staring at me from where he is and as a result I quickly pull my hair over my face to resist looking his way. It's not just that I don't want to make eye contact, but I can feel my cheeks warming up once again to a painfully warm degree that only horrifies me the more I think about the thought that has intruded in my mind.

 _I don't get it?! It's Kokichi! It's freaking KOKICHI! Am I seriously jealous of him having a favorite female friend?! No, no, that doesn't make any sense no matter how I look at it! I wouldn't want to be his favorite anything! Then, then...! It must be the girl herself! He said she had a huge rack, right? Then_ _ **that's**_ _what I'm jealous about! It makes sense! My breasts aren't microscopic like Himiko's, but they sure aren't the biggest either! Okay. Okay, I think I'm good now. Glad I could analyze my feelings properly without any denials._

My face isn't getting any less warm.

"Prairie, you're...swaying," I hear Tsu-moo-moo the lying cow comment from near me, causing me to grunt irritably. Of all people to point out my annoying ticks, the last person I want to hear it from is the Ultimate Traitor.

"She's fine! It's just that she's upset and that the annoying little purple menace makes her so sick that she can hardly see straight!" Tenko comes to my aid, pulling me to her side so she can wrap an arm around my waist. I'm so crippled that I don't even fight her on it, especially considering I might actually fall over from my embarrassing epiphany.

"Ah...I don't know about that. I mean, they're around each other all the ti-" I hear Kiibo start to say until I peek over my shield of fluffy curls and cut him off with, _"Debate about another topic, or else."_

This has the robot's mouth clamping shut real quick, much to my satisfaction as the heat across my face begins to finally settle.

 _Fine. I'm jealous. Why? Dunno, don't care. I'm just going to have to tolerate that fact for now or else I'll be a hindrance to this upcoming trial during times I have to speak about Kokichi or directly respond to Kokichi himself. I can properly think about it when I'm alone later or something...there are more important things to be concerned about. Ryoma is dead._

With that in mind, I let out a sigh of relief and relax enough to drop my hair. Risking a peek, Kokichi is thankfully engrossed in looking at the washing machine. I can feel the tension in my chest ebb away even more as I rest my head on Tenko's shoulder. She makes a soft squee under her breath at that, prompting me to smile and simply rest my head there until I can finally lift my head and get into the proper headspace for what's happening.

Looking around, everyone seems to be here, save for Kirumi, Angie, Maki, and-

I feel a pair of arms snap around me hard enough to startle a short shriek of fear from my lips. Tenko's arm around my waist is already off of me and we both spin around instantly, our fists flying towards the target that is my assailant behind me even though my shriek has made them release me like I've burnt them.

As soon as we see who it is, both Tenko and I freeze. We stop ourselves mere inches from both our fists making direct contact against the face of a visibly stunned Rantaro Amami standing behind us with his arms and hands up in surrender. After a beat of silence in which the three of us process the reunion, the green haired guy has the decency to appear sheepish by his actions.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to sneak up on you guys like that," he admits with that familiar deep velvet voice of his, smiling a little in embarrassment.

Tenko and I pull our fists away seeing this, Tenko in particular growling a little in frustration. "Yeah, you should be sorry, _menace._ How'd you think we'd respond after Kirumi's assault on her and now with a body discovery announcement? Be more considerate!"

Although I appreciate her jumping in and laying it out clearly for him, I can tell Rantaro already realizes his misstep and is likely mentally chastising himself for it. Tenko doesn't continue to rip him apart though, instead sighing and turning to me with a pleasant smile.

"I'll give you two a moment then, but don't hesitate to scream if you need me, Prairie!" Tenko reassures me, just before taking Himiko's wrist and pulling the visibly perplexed Himiko aside so Rantaro and I are left together near the back where the vacuums are.

What do I even say to him? I haven't seen him in such a long time that I'm almost caught up in the charm of his good looks again, but it's quickly dispelled when I notice a few details about him that I'm pretty surprised to see.

Rantaro's hair in particular is far more unkempt than I've ever seen it before, to a degree that makes it look like he's run his hands through it about a hundred times. There are bags under his eyes, enough for me to know he hasn't slept properly recently- most likely due to his time in the casino trying to get the Love Hotel Key. And yet...

"Ah, do I look that bad...?" Rantaro asks, clearly embarrassed by my lingering gaze until I shake my head and press a hand against my face. He thinks he could _actually_ look 'bad'? This guy is hopeless...talk about being a blockhead unaware of your own appearance.

"No, that's the thing, Amami. With how pathetic you look right now, somehow you _still_ manage to be good looking..." I explain as I observe him from between my fingers, watching the surprise roll across his face. I slide my hand down over my jaw, only to cock my head to the side and drop my arms to my sides promptly at the expression he's making. "What? Are you really that surprised? You must not look in the mirror much..."

"I mean...no, I'm well aware of my appearance, Prairie. It's just that not many people are as frank to directly say it and it's even more surprising coming from you of all people considering how nervous you get around boys..." Rantaro explains, only trailing off when he seems to notice my face turning red- if all the heat I feel radiating off of it is any indication. "Never mind. Anyways, if these were better circumstances, I would have tried a bit. I'm just..."

Rantaro's eyes flick from me to the washing machine and back. He would never say the rest of that sentence out loud- and yes, I know what he's trying to say even if he doesn't want to admit it himself. Essentially, it's the same thing I was worried about when Kokichi and I found all those strange stuff in Hotel Kumasutra, even if the thought itself is _wrong_ and completely unsympathetic in light of poor Ryoma's fate. I sincerely doubt he can help his thoughts as much as I can help it.

 _Thank god it's not you._

Guilt eats away at my gut. I'm sure I can only think what I'm thinking because I didn't know Ryoma and didn't try to push past his boundaries to get to know him. In fact, he hardly took up much of my thoughts to begin with, if at all. At least not past our meeting, his mentioning of me being Perfect Blitz, and that whole 'prison' backstory of his he never elaborated on- and all of that was only picked up from one single encounter. Our first encounter.

Plain and simple, a stranger died and I am rotten for being relieved.

What a disgusting thought.

With my disgusting thoughts of guilt, I evidently step forwards towards Rantaro and hug him so I can hide in his shirt. He may have seen better days, but I recognize the faint smell of his cologne clinging to his clothes.

"Relieved it wasn't him? That's an interesting reaction for someone having died," Maki's voice invades my conscious from somewhere around us, followed by Rantaro sighing irritably as he wraps his arms around me.

"Just ignore her," I hear him say to me as he rests his cheek atop my head, which I'm more than happy to oblige to. Now that Rantaro's here, I can relax a little...probably isn't the time for that, but I want to enjoy him before we have to start looking around for clues to what happened. Still, I turn my head so I can see the others.

"Are...are you sure he's dead? He looks just as plainly surprised as we are," Tsumugi states anxiously after taking a peek in the washing machine. She rubs her cheek with a hand, brows furrowed slightly. "W-Wouldn't the muscles in his face relax once he's died? Like he's sleeping or something...?"

Shuichi joins her, Kokichi hovering just behind the two with a grin. "Okay, Mr. Detective! Who did it? You probably already know at first glance, don't you?!" Kokichi eagerly exclaims, only for Shuichi to lift his head with a frown as he looks Kokichi's brightly grinning way.

"Ah...that's not how this works," Shuichi simply responds, prompting the rat beside him to sigh in disappointment.

"Some Ultimate Detective you are..." Kokichi grumbles with a pout, folding his arms behind his neck and turning away only to rest his eyes on me where I'm latched onto Rantaro like a koala. A snort of amusement escapes him at the sight. "Oh, look at that. Our residential neighborly lovebirds are back together, how sweet!" The rat remarks, his gaze specifically locked onto me despite that his words target both Rantaro and I. Knowing he's searching my expression of any sign of why the chip on my shoulder has increased regarding him specifically, I give him a nasty look and instead focus my gaze on everyone else but him.

 _Well...at least I have Rantaro to treat me like I'm his favorite again- even for a short while before we inevitably have to converse about or issues between one another. No doubt we can avoid that conversation. Before that though..._

"Hm. Why did I expect something like this would inevitably occur, even in the wake of our last murder? I can't say I'm astonished. There is one among us that clearly lusts for bloodshed to a similar degree as our departed vulgar Iruma, it would seem," Korekiyo sighs, readjusting his hat as he approaches the washing machine upon Tsumugi getting out of the way. He has to lean down a bit to see, but only lets out a hum of interest at the disturbing sight. "His cause of death isn't quite as obvious as Akamatsu's was. Interesting...he appears almost as if..."

Korekiyo doesn't continue his statement, which has me feeling a tad bit irritated. "Appears almost as if" what? There's no need to be mysterious here unless he wants us suspecting him, he should just spit it out. I want to know what he's getting from looking at Ryoma's corpse if it'll help us in the inevitable trial.

"Nyeh...maybe someone turned on the washing machine and he couldn't get out? He could have drowned or gotten all beat up from the spin cycles, couldn't he have...?" Himiko suggests, prompting Shuichi to answer with, "We'll need to bring the body out from there so we can examine it in better lighting, but...from what I can already see, he doesn't seem to have bruises or anything of the sort to indicate being battered. Again, we'll need to look closely at it to confirm that either way, but before that...is everybody here already? Who are we missing?"

"We're still missing two people, it seems," Rantaro says looking around. "Angie and Kirumi."

 _I wonder where Angie could be if she agreed to meet up with Himiko to help with laundry? Assuming she was only a bit late, she should have been one of the first people here, yet she's one of the last...was she busy doing something else? Like...?_

Maybe it's best not to go there yet. Just because she didn't show up immediately like the other students have isn't enough to throw out baseless accusations of her being the culprit. I should let the evidence do the talking first.

"G-Gonta...no understand why killing game happen again... _why?_ We friends, or enemies?" Gonta speaks up, visibly jarred by the sight and news.

"Normally I don't care much for degenerate males, but I don't believe Ryoma could have been so bad as to warrant being murdered! Being a menace doesn't warrant cruelty like this! So! Which one of you _degenerate males_ did this!" Tenko barks, turning and looking around as she gets in an aggressive fighting stance.

"Ah...that was both a step forward regarding your feelings towards men, as well as a plain step backwards," Tsumugi comments, sounding a bit too close to Rantaro and I for comfort.

I hear Rantaro make a small hum of confusion when I tense up and growl on impulse, a rumbly low sound of aggression that only he seems to be able to hear. He scoots us away from Tsumugi discreetly once he realizes I'm glaring at her.

"Also, how sure are you that a guy did this...? It could have been a girl, for all you know," Tsumugi continues, completely oblivious of my little death glare narrowed on her. When I notice Rantaro trying to catch my eyes so he can silently question my mild hostility towards the cosplay girl, I turn and rest my back against him without a response. He seems to realize I'm not about to tell him anything though, giving up with a soft exhale of resignation.

It's not that I don't want to tell him, really. It's just...well, how do you go about that? "Yeah, Rantaro, so I figured out the mastermind is Tsumugi! I don't have any proof, but dude, trust me." I'm sure that would go _very_ well.

 _Tsumugi is the mastermind...there's no way she's queasy about this if she's the one that's in charge of directing the murders in specific ways. I may have been in a bad state down there, but I know what I saw._

"Because! Only a degenerate picks off victims smaller than they are!" Tenko states matter of factly.

"Technically, picking off victims smaller than you is a quality everyone is likely to have if they want the job to be easy...plus, everyone was bigger than Ryoma," Kiibo points out frankly, prompting all eyes to land on him. The robot shudders upon finding everyone's eyes resting on him, appearing suddenly nervous. "H-Hey, that's an inherent quality all living organisms have! Don't look at me like _I'd_ do something of that sort! I would never!"

"Suuure, Kiiboy. Like we can't see you manipulating us fleshies so we'll kill each other off and bring you one step closer to world domination a la 'rise of the machines'," Kokichi accuses with a grin, causing Kiibo to scoff.

"Jokes on you, I don't _need_ to dominate the world! I'm perfectly happy as I am right now."

"Even without a dick?"

 _"Gh!_ No matter how many times you bring that up, I will neither confirm nor deny your ridiculous questions about my private zone!" Kiibo barks back at the fairly amused rat.

Rantaro so in before Kokichi can continue to heckle the poor robot. "Okay, cut it out you two. I don't know where the other two are, but we need to be serious about this right now...if the other two ever decide to show u-"

"We're here," a voice, one that makes me stiffen up anxiously on impulse, cuts Rantaro off. I shrink back into him when the students in the lab all turn and back away from her. Even Angie, who's as late as her, doesn't stray too close to the olive haired Ultimate Maid. Himiko and Angie gravitate towards each other, Tenko glancing at them before evidently choosing to stand beside Rantaro and I.

Kirumi has everyone's attention. Everything about her is different- from her outfit to her hairstyle...and her face.

Firstly, gone is her dress and loose hair. She's turned the bottom portion of her white skirt from her dress into a pair of pants that cut off just at her knees with two ties. She still has a tie, which is more prominent now that her apron, shorter and with pockets, only ties around her hips. Her short hair has even been pulled into a ponytail, save for a few bangs that escape it. The bangs that surround her face aren't enough to conceal the new features to her face, and this time they aren't features she's altered willingly.

Back when Maki caught us in the courtyard, I could barely see anything with so much blood in my eyes. I didn't know how badly I fought back against her, or whether I made any actual damage.

Most prominent are the reddish pink streaks of scratch marks. I remember scratching her, but didn't know where since I was just mainly focused on survival and escape. The scratch marks go straight up from her chin, over the corner of her lips, and across her right eye. Alongside it is a bruise around that same eye, which has been tightly stitched from the bottom lid down to her cheek.

 _When I used the wrench and was jamming it back into her face, I must have sliced her face open with a sharp edge..._

Seeing the damage I've done to her feels like a bucket of ice water has been poured over me. It's a lot more brutal than I thought- in fact, I didn't even know I was capable of something like that.

"Holy _shit!_ Damn, uh, you look really..." Kaito trails off, looking rather uncomfortable as he glances back towards where I'm trying to disappear and assimilate with Rantaro's shadow.

 _Rantaro is gonna scold me, isn't he? He'll probably say something like "Prairie, you shouldn't be so violent". Or "you can't fight fire-with-fire", or-_

I hear Rantaro scoff and look up at him in confusion, finding he's got a surprising humorless grin across his face as he boldly remarks, "Serves you right."

... _Huh?_

"Yes. I can hardly fault Prairie for retaliation just as I'm incapable of faulting you for hating me. Make no mistake though...I would do it again. Please be aware that it is not my attention to make this personal," Kirumi surprisingly responds, causing Rantaro to tighten his grip around me protectively.

"Too bad. It _is_ personal," Rantaro retorts, though Kirumi doesn't say anything else this time. I reach up and rub the side of Rantaro's head in an attempt to calm him down, but he's so focused on glaring at Kirumi that he doesn't pay my efforts any attention.

"Upupupu~! Aaand another one bites the dust!" Monokuma bounds into the room to disturb the scene, followed closely by the monokubs- of which only Monophanie, Monosuke, and Monodam actually preemptively announce their arrival with their usual motto.

 _"Rise and Shine, Ursine!"_ They cheer, all the while Monokid stands to the side with his arms crossed with a dry groan of annoyance. Seems like even he is sick and tired of the theatrics usually attached to the monokubs as a whole.

"Oh no! A dead body! Of all the people that could die, it wasn't _Ugly?_ She's all over the handsome green one again...!" Monophanie is the first to speak up as she looks my way. "You can't keep him forever, I hope you know that! Someone cuter is eventually going to come by and he'll leave you! And by someone cuter...I mean me, of course!"

I scowl, and to my surprise, Rantaro yet again tightens his hold on me. Looking up, I'm surprised once again to see him aiming this dark look Monophanie's way- enough that the pink bear actually starts kinda sweating and looking guilty over something.

 _Uh...what happened between those two? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, but Rantaro is pretty clingy right now. I guess I don't mind so much all things considered...if he starts being a helicopter mom again later once my sympathy runs dry, he's got another thing coming to him._

Well, either way...I'm glad he's got his irritation aimed at her.

"We're in the good stuff now! Finally, finally, FINALLY! I've hated how chummy you've all been getting with one another! This place is for KILLS!" Monokuma announces.

"This is bullshit!" Kaito snaps, eyes blazing. "You did this yourself, didn't you?! After you realized none of us were willing to repeat Miu's mistake-"

"No _sirrie!_ I've said it before and I'll say it again! I, Monokuma, will not ever directly cause harm or death to a student myself. That wouldn't be interesting, now, _would_ it? Besides! It's much more fun watching you schmucks fight over stabbing each other in the back!" Monokuma responds much to the horror of the rest of us.

"S-So, there are no tricks here then? One of us went for it again...?" Tsumugi asks, looking rather distressed by something that is technically her own fault. She's the mastermind here, after all. She came up with those plans for directing murders, didn't she?

... _Is she that good an actor? She seems so genuine in her words and reactions, it's almost scary. I would have never pegged her to be the mastermind all on my own if it wasn't for seeing those papers. She's so...plain._

I feel a warm puff of air hit my right cheek and turn, only to flinch and lean back when I find Kokichi staring directly at me from inches away with this intense look that forces a startled grimace to my face. He's not smiling as he locks eyes with me and to be honest it's sorta creepy in a way. The heck does _he_ want?

"Kokichi, don't bug her," I hear Rantaro huff under his breath to the rat, who hardly spares him a glance in response. "And please don't attack Kokichi, Tenko."

Tenko grunts, making a funny expression. "I don't need a _degenerate male_ that fits surprisingly snug in a garbage bin to tell me what I can or can't do."

Now it's Rantaro's turn to sigh with mild irritability, even though Tenko is technically listening to him and not attacking Kokichi for his weirdness.

 _We...are the wackiest pack when the four of us are together, aren't we?_

I feel a small giggle escape me and slap my hand over my mouth, immediately feeling guilty since it probably sounds like I'm laughing at Tenko's jab to Rantaro.

Rantaro doesn't seem to take the slip of a giggle badly though, rubbing my shoulder warmly in response.

"All-righty then! Since this is your first time investigating a murder, I have a nice surprise for the lot of you! Here I have..." He reaches behind him, though I can't imagine what he's reaching into since he's facing all of us and has his back to a wall. When he pulls his paw out and outstretches his arm, a tablet appears for us to see from his grip. "A notebook that kills whoever's name is written in it!"

"Eh?! You mean...! That's the Death No-" Tsumugi half perks up, before she's completely cut off with Monokuma answering, "Just kidding, it's the _Monokuma File!"_

"We...have to do the investigation ourselves too...?" Himiko asks, visibly shuddering from where she is as her eyes drift towards the washing machine dubiously. Clearly she's not too keen to touch the dead body, but then again, who _would_ be?

"Oh, you don't _have_ to! Although I can't imagine you'll have much to argue about if you can't even scrape up enough evidence to point out the blackened...hey, which do you like more, birds or rabbits? I'm still plotting up a few more tidbits for the Ultimate Magician's execution if you're as eager to die as you appear to be!" Monokuma laughs, prompting my eyes to narrow at the sadistic bear picking on Himiko for once. As if feeling my glare, Monokuma turns to glance my way. "Oh, and don't worry, Miss Marble! Although you're still as much of an afterthought as ever... _I've prioritized creating your execution in case you feel a little murdery..._ but who knows? This trial could result in an early execution for you too! Oh, the possibilities~! Puhuhu! _"_

That bear can burn in the depths of hell.

"Is that perhaps a confirmation on your part that Prairie is the blackened in this case?" Korekiyo snickers darkly, resulting in a barely perceptible low growl from Rantaro that I likely wouldn't have heard if he wasn't hugging me so tightly.

"Oh, think of it what you will, by all means! Just remember...if you choose the wrong blackened, you _all_ will be executed! It will be a series of fun, bloody, _humiliating_ deaths for the blackened to delightfully watch for their graduation ceremony!" Monokuma reminds us, before waving the tablet again. "Anyways, back to the _Monokuma File!"_

"Is it another motive?" Kiibo inquires nervously, ducked down slightly as if scared someone will crucify him for opening his mouth.

"Not at all! The investigation is what makes the killing game have spice! You're all to attempt uncovering the truth, but since you're no medical doctors, this here is a detailed report that summarizes the state of the...you-know-what!" Monophanie chirps brightly, eager to have the spotlight, so it would seem. Even if she still seems to have an aversion to saying "dead body".

"The only thing missing is any information that makes the blackened obvious! 'Cause that would make for a rather boring trial, ain't that right, Pops?!" Monosuke laughs, prompting Monokuma to turn towards the smaller colored bears and stare at them. For a second they look a little nervous- and then Monokuma scoops up the bears to start...licking them.

"Ew..." I mumble, before taking a peek beside me where I notice Kokichi hasn't moved from. As if sensing my gaze falling on him again, his own eyes flick my way. He's still being weird...well, I'm not dealing with him.

"All of you kubs are so cute! So CUTE! And absolutely right in every way~!" Monokuma states, Monokid managing to spring into action with a look of abject horror at Monokuma's behavior.

"GROSS! You couldn't PAY ME to stay still and deal with that shit! FUCK OFF WITH THAT!" Monokid snaps vehemently as he makes some advanced dodges, bounding towards Rantaro and I to hide behind our legs.

"Aw...my favorite son doesn't love me anymore. That's not good at all..." Monokuma laments, before substantially brightening up as he turns to his other kubs where Monophanie and Monodam are wiping his saliva (or whatever fluid that is...) off of their fur. He reaches for Monosuke next, surprising a small noise out of the spectacled yellow bear when he's hoisted up. "No matter! My next favorite son will do just fine and..."

Monokuma pauses before going to lick Monosuke, holding him up a little higher and moving the yellow bear up and down a bit as if...

 _Oh no,_ I think, trying not to let my expression pan into something obvious when I realize what Monokuma is doing.

"...Hey...did you lose some weight there, buddy boy ol' pal friend-o?" Monokuma asks in a slow foreboding tone, one that prompts me to mindlessly start playing with Rantaro's rings to keep myself distracted. I don't care if Rantaro, Kokichi, or Shuichi figures out it's my doing again, but...if Monokuma really couldn't see what was going on beneath the school, then _good._ I don't want him to spite me for corrupting another monokub by destroying them.

"I'm on weight watchers!" Monosuke easily answers without missing a beat, not at all nervous to state it plainly by the looks of it when I peek up- even if it _is_ total crap.

"Oh! Okay then!" Monokuma agrees, not even continuing with going to lick the yellow bear and instead setting him down. "Hand these out, yeah, favorite kid? I'm off to get the trial grounds ready!"

"You got it, Dad!" Monosuke cackles without hesitation, taking what I see now are actually four Monokuma Files rather than one. Well, I guess it's a good thing that he's still obviously loyal to Monokuma rather than me...that means he's much less likely to be destroyed. On the other hand, Monokid...

 _I can try and keep him at my side to make sure he stays safe, but that's only if he wants to stay with me and if Monokuma basically allows it._

"I'll let you handle it from here, students! But don't take too long investigating! Once I say it's time to gather at the trial grounds, I won't wait! If you so happen to dawdle getting there, I'll be sending an Exisal for you! I hope I make myself clear!" Monokuma exclaims, before grinning and waving a paw, specifically in my way for some reason. "Good luck! You're gonna _need_ it!"

Monokuma bounds away with that farewell, leaving us to turn towards Monosuke to grab the monopads for investigating.

"There's only four Monokuma Files, so plan carefully!" Monosuke cackles, fanning them out for all of us to see.

Everyone begins looking around, eyes eventually beginning to gravitate towards Shuichi until Kaito stands and joins the nervous Ultimate Detective's side. Kaito pulls his hand back and then slaps it against Shuichi's back, making the teen stagger a bit before looking up.

"Okay, Shuichi! What do you propose in this case, considering it's our first time? I know this is gonna be tough, but...I trust you! And I know you've got the experience for this!" Kaito exclaims, prompting Shuichi to look towards him before steeling himself and taking a deep breath.

...

"Okay. So first and foremost, we need to look at the body, but...we should all get in groups, at _least_ of two. There can only be one culprit, so if we have two people to watch each other, it ensures that the culprit can't tamper with any evidence or any parts of the crime scene," Shuichi states clearly, glancing Kirumi's way specifically with a calculative frown as he presses his thumb and index finger to his chin. "Considering we have one person that's already tried to commit murder, we need to prioritize getting a partner for Kirumi. Although we can't be sure one hundred percent that she's the blackened until we gather all the evidence, she's a prime suspect for this case regardless and we need her to be watched- whether she'll mess with the crime scene or whether she'll take the opportunity to kill Prairie."

I shiver at that note, even though I know it's true. It's necessary for him to say it so the others understand, but I just wish we weren't in a situation where he has to be so blunt about it. I don't like being reminded of what I had to go through just so I could survive Kirumi's murder attempt on my life.

"I'll partner with Kirumi."

My head whips around to look up at Rantaro, eyes narrowing as I turn and yank his arms off from around me. "What...? _Why?"_ I ask out loud, visibly upset by him electing himself to babysit a known threat. Rantaro wants to partner with _her?_ She's obviously dangerous! He doesn't even like her because of what she tried to do to me!

"Because. I'll be able to make sure she won't come near you during the investigation. You _or_ anybody else," Rantaro answers with ease, only to let out a sigh when my scowl remains despite his short explanation. He reaches over and cups my cheek, giving it a gentle rub in an effort to ease my disapproval. "I'll be okay. Afterwards, we'll have our time together. I promise."

There's nothing I can say against that, even though I don't want him anywhere near Kirumi. He's got his mind set, and there's likely no changing it no matter how much I beg. As if sensing my discomfort with the matter though, Tenko clears her throat for both of our attention.

"If you're uncomfortable about it, Prairie...then I'll watch her with him! If she tries anything, there'll be two of us to watch each other's backs and watch the backs of the rest of you! That will put your mind at ease, right?" Tenko suggests, prompting my eyes to flick over to her. I relax just a bit, knowing Tenko isn't kidding when she means to fight someone. Still...

Considering this outcome, I turn to look at Kirumi and give her the most deadly look in my arsenal I can summon.

I mean it too. If anything happens to Rantaro _and/or_ Tenko...I'll make her other eye match the one with stitches.

"Don't worry. Neither Tenko nor Rantaro are in any danger around me, so you can be rest assured I won't hurt them. As it stands...you are still my preferred target," Kirumi responds to my expression. I don't answer her, simply relocating beside Kokichi with an ever present scowl as Rantaro and Tenko walk over towards Kirumi with frowns of their own at her blunt admission. As soon as I'm in range, Kokichi takes the opportunity to link arms with me and lock his grip around mine so I'm unable to rip away from him when I try.

Casting the rat a dirty look, he simply sticks his tongue out my way and then grins brightly.

 _Great. I hate everything about this accomodation._

"I'm not investigating," Maki clearly states, causing all eyes to fly her way with varying amounts of surprise. "I think the killer is obvious. Kirumi couldn't get to Prairie, so she killed Ryoma. End of story. I'm leaving."

She starts walking out of the lab, but pauses when Kiibo stops her with a garble of panic.

"Wait! I mean, sure it could be Kirumi, but don't you want to be completely sure?! This is all our _lives_ on the line if we get it wrong!" Kiibo insists, prompting Maki to simply turn her head and stare at the robot. She doesn't look inclined to take his advice, even though I'm sensible enough to realize it can't be as clear cut as that.

And if it is...better safe than sorry.

"It's up to her, but I'll be happy to keep an eye on her in case she tries to tamper with any evidence," Korekiyo offers.

"Whatever," Maki responds, walking out of the room with Korekiyo following behind her with an elegant stride.

"Shuichi want Gonta to bring out Ryoma? Gonta can easily do," Gonta speaks up, prompting Shuichi to turn to the larger teen standing beside him with Kaito and Kiibo. "Will be very gentle, like gentleman."

"Oh, ah, yes please. Just be careful that you don't hit him against the side of the machine," Shuichi answers clearly getting to work and stepping back as Gonta moves to pull the body out from inside it.

Everyone else remaining gets into groups, leaving me with Kokichi since I'm literally attached to him against my will.

 _He's way too clingy...! It was bad before, but it's like it got worse once he realized I was mad at him. How the heck do I get rid of him now?_

"Time to investigate! Let's go probe Ryoma's dead bo-" Kokichi begins, until I cut him off to say, "I'm going to develop the photos on my camera for Shuichi first. Go look with him or one of the others if you want to probe Ryoma then."

Kokichi pauses and turns to give me a blank look, right before shifting his expression into a grin and sliding his hand down my arm to link his fingers with mine before I can jerk my arm away in time.

"Okay~! If that's what you want, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi comments, ignoring my efforts to rip away from him. After a growl of disdain on my part as I give up, he follows as I hurry to the exit with him (unfortunately) in tow.

'What I want', huh? No, what I _want_ is for this rat to go pester someone else, but I'm doubtful about that happening.

"Hey, PRAIRIE!" Monokid calls out, making me pause and turn my head to look at the blue monokub hobbling after us. "If you're gonna develop photos, go to Classroom A! I'll set it up with the supplies and prep it up for ya in advance so you can get your work done!"

"Alright, thank you, Monokid" I say with a smile, pulling Kokichi along at a decent power walk as the blue bear bounds away to get to work ahead of us.

"You're so well mannered until you wanna beat someone up, hmm...?" Kokichi points out, hand still linked with mine even though I'm not holding his back. "Are you gonna tell me why you're mad, or are you forcing me to come up with the assumption myself?"

"I'm always mad at you, calm down, Kokichi," I state, prompting Kokichi to sigh in annoyance.

"That's a lie. You're always _annoyed_ with me, not outright pissed. So then..." Kokichi pauses, grinning in my peripherals and pressing his finger to his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "I never thought you'd be jealous I was talking about another girl, but hey, it's a first for everything!"

I almost choke on my saliva at being found out so fast.

 _"I'm not jealous of anything,"_ I snap with a little too much vehemence, enough that it's pretty obvious the opposite is true just from my defensiveness. My cheeks start to get warm and I try again after pulling my hair over my lower jaw, even though I know he's staring intently at my reaction with a wider grin. "I mean, I don't have anything to be jealous about anyways, so quit trying to embarrass me. I'm not interested in you no matter how much you try to force it."

"'Force' it? You think I'm trying to force something between us? I've said that I'm only messing with you before, but considering how worked up you are over me simply mentioning my girlfriend...I'm starting to think you're confusing my lies for reality!" Kokichi laughs, finally releasing my hand to rest his arms behind his head. "Well, _one_ of my girlfriends."

 _I don't believe him. Not only is he calling the bimbo a "girlfriend" now, but stating he has_ _ **multiple**_ _? More than one girl that's totally mental enough to want to be around him? I can barely resist the urge to break his nose even just being around him for a few minutes! ...No. No, I said I wouldn't let this be a problem while we're investigating a murder and preparing for a trial. He's gonna put me in a bad place if I don't solve this problem. Even if I am extremely pissed off over the fact he's accusing me of falling for him in some way...'cause that's technically what he's saying, isn't he? How else can his statement be perceived?_

"Can we please not do this _now?_ We have a case to deal with, and you know? You're not the spotlight. So shut up," I remark sharply as we reach the classroom on the first floor. I turn the handle and open it up, a red light casted over the room with black curtains propped over all the visible windows to completely block out the light. Looks like Monokid got it all ready for us.

"Huh...? Didn't you say before you wouldn't be surprised if a lot of girls were in line wanting my attention? I know some boys too, don't worry. I won't discriminate against anyone pining after me...not even against Prairie Dogs~" Kokichi chuckles as he shuts the door behind us and I pull out my camera.

It's easy to crack open and pull the film out, which I mindlessly do as I prepare it for the process on a step-by-step list Monokid has left out for me to develop the photos properly. I don't exactly like being alone in a room with him again, especially one as hard to see in as this one is with the red light.

"You sure have a short memory, huh? I think I'm allowed to be pissed off at you and not tell you the reason- kind of like how you were pissed at me for some apparent reason when I woke up earlier..." I comment off-handedly, prompting a noise out of Kokichi.

"I was just grumpy cause you rudely woke me from my sweet dreams. I'm allowed to be angry if my sleep is disturbed!" Kokichi states, even though I can tell his excuse is a freaking lie as per usual.

"Right. Okay, if you wanna pretend like you were angry because I woke you up, fine. In that case, I'm angry because you stole my Bible. There, now we understand each other completely," I respond with a flat tone of voice, my hands moving on impulse to do what the list says as Kokichi breaks into a fit of laughter. My lip twitches a little hearing him laugh, but I suppress the flutter in my thorax to focus on the task at hand.

Things fall silent between us after that point as Kokichi helps to fill the three bins at the desks Monokid pushed together to make one long table, up until we have the photocopies all soaked and pinned to the line above.

"How long does this take to finish? It feels like it's been an eternity already...not that I mind when I'm with Prairie Dog," Kokichi teases, startling me when he runs a hand over the small of my back and to my side which makes me jump and jerk away from him with a squeak.

"I don't know?! Stop trying to flirt with me, you creep! If you're bored, go bother someone else!" I complain, causing Kokichi to sigh dramatically.

"I wooould, but I need to be around to make sure you don't try to destroy evidence! As innocent as you try to act, you technically could still be Ryoma's murderer...you could have murdered him right before you woke me up and I would have never known," Kokichi points out, to which I immediately refute with, "Oh? And how do I know you didn't freaking get up anytime before I 'rudely woke you up'? Stupid, neither of us actually have alibis and I'm almost sure the items missing in a few of the hotel rooms were used in this murder. Which means the two of us are..."

I purse my lips at the realization, falling silent as Kokichi starts to slowly chuckle in a rather...devious manner.

"That took a surprisingly long time for you to realize. Just because there was someone else in the hotel earlier doesn't mean either one of us are cleared of suspicion. I mean, of us three that were definitely in the hotel, only one of us is the murderer. Furthermore, we don't even know if that other person we ran into was totally conscious, considering the whole process of 'guests' and 'visitors' is still a totally unknown factor for us. If you're sure you're not the murderer, that puts suspicion on me...and if I'm sure I'm not the murderer, that puts suspicion on you-"

Now it's my turn to sputter with laughter for a moment, cutting Kokichi off and eventually giving him a look between my giggles.

"Kokichi...sometimes you're so dumb for being such a smart guy. _I'm_ one hundred and ten percent sure you're not the murderer. And with how long we've been in here I'm also sure you're the only one among us that wouldn't actually commit murder. There's literally nothing you can say to convince me otherwise or make me doubt you'd be braindead enough to murder Ryoma or anyone else," I manage to get out. I can't believe he's trying to insinuate something as dumb as that in the first place?

"...Are you really sure about that? Didn't you yourself once say everyone here is capable of murder with the proper accomodations?" Kokichi inquires curiously, an innocent look glued to his face like plastic.

"Yeah, sure, but...you're not like the rest of us. There's nothing here that could possibly accommodate youinto a situation where you'd want to murder someone- or even a situation where you'd be _forced_ to. You don't actually care about anyone here enough, not even yourself, where you could be blackmailed or tricked into playing Monokuma's killing game," I respond, shrugging at his blank look in response to my words. "What? You know it's true, don't deny it now."

Kokichi is so silent that I almost think he's confirming it and has calmed down. All I can hear is the drip of fluid landing in the developer bins under the hanging photos we processed. Once again I've underestimated Kokichi though, and the longer the silence stretches, the more I realize I've gone and stepped on his toes. Even his blank expression looks almost manic now, just going by the red glint of the light shining off of his irises. The fact his face is only lit by the red hue of the room makes this feel all the more discomforting, but I just swallow the saliva in my mouth in preparation for whatever verbal whiplash I'm about to experience.

Well, I'm at least right that he's not normal. If he's angry, does that mean I hit the nail on the mark though? I can't really tell when it comes to Kokichi. He's about as closed off as I am an open book. The two of us are complete polar opposites in that regard.

"You don't know jack shit about me, so don't pretend you do," Kokichi finally speaks, smiling sweetly. "You will _never_ know anything about me. Don't stick me on some pedestal just because I shower you with a little more attention than I do the others, 'cause you're not that special, Prairie. You shouldn't even be jealous over any stupid bimbo I decide I'm interested in, considering you specifically don't have a chance to begin with. In truth? I'd sooner off myself before I ever actually let a bitch like you anywhere near me in that sort of way."

I knew what was coming and yet even being mentally prepared isn't enough to stop his words from knocking all the air out of me in one fell swoop. My stomach twists uncomfortably and everything feels tight in my chest. He's always different when we're alone. He only ever snaps like this whenever nobody else is watching. If he hates me as much as _that,_ why is he always following me around? He's right. I don't understand him.

And I don't understand why his otherwise obvious words cut so deep now that it's in my face.

 _Don't tell me I'm actually this attached to him. This is stupid._

I turn away quietly and start unpinning the damp photographs from the line, slapping them over each other carelessly in my hand and walking to the door to leave. What can I even say to that? His words are so absolute in nature and I don't even know why it's so upsetting since he's such an annoying person to begin with. What the heck do I even like about him? I hardly know anything about Kokichi, apart from the fact he likes to lie, joke around at the expense of others, and that he has a nasty habit of only showing the worst aspects of his personality whenever the two of us are alone. Oh, and he's starting to enjoy calling me things like "dumbass" and "bitch". There's that too.

What's appealing about that? Absolutely nothing.

 _Then why am I so upset?_

"Aaa, did I hit a nerve there...? So sorry, Prairie Dog! But I have to clear your head somehow so you aren't cooped up with all these weird thoughts~" Kokichi speaks up as he follows me out of the room. "Besides! It's better if you don't have such an obvious and blind crush on me, don't you think? I'm doing you a favor, you'll thank me later."

I pause and stop walking, taking a moment to think about that. He's doing a favor for me...

My chest relaxes and begins to bubble a little with amusement. It starts off as a rolling sensation specifically where my lungs rest, rising up to my throat into little giggles as tears begin to form at the corners of my eyes. That's...actually kind of funny. So he's saving me from having a blind crush on him? Heck, I guess it really is a blind crush- I can't even figure out why I myself like him.

 _Hm...I guess that's me admitting I am attracted to Kokichi. For some weird reason..._

That thought is enough for my giggles to increase in intensity, me having to lean over and hold my stomach with the arm holding the photos to catch my breath and keep from letting myself fall over. After more tears of laughter escape my eyes, I set down the photos on the ground momentarily and straighten up to face Kokichi. He's got that plastic smile on again, although it looks a bit weird. He doesn't seem to understand what I've found so amusing, but doesn't say anything as I remove my left glove and put my right hand over his shoulder. My giggles have slowed enough for me to shake my head and smile at him with a genuine look of resignation.

"You know what, Kokichi? You're right. I do have a blind crush on you," I confess to him.

Kokichi blinks at me, seemingly loosening up his tense shoulders with an honest smile as I give his face a once over that doesn't seem to go unnoticed by him when he frowns in confusion.

I let out a small sigh.

And then my fist connects with his face like a jet missile.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.16 - Games With The Heart**_ ❀


	46. 3:17 - Intro to Investigations

_**3.17 - Intro to Investigations**_

With the wet photographs at hand and spring to my step, I push open the door to the Ultimate Maid's lab and shove my left glove in my pocket along with my right glove. Kokichi follows me in, bursting into a flood of dramatic fake tears behind me as soon as we're among the others of our group. Truth be told, he took the punch a whole lot better than I thought he would. Sure, he wasn't exactly expecting it or anything, but he managed to stay upright once his head whipped back a bit from the initial impact.

The second punch though...that one really caught him off guard since it was much harder than the first curious punch. Still, my bloodlust could hardly be sated after those sharp and cruel words of his. The guy doesn't know how to let someone down easy, does he? Even if he _does_ have every right to place his own boundaries, there was definitely a better way he could have said what he needed to say. It would have made it a lot less painful for him in the long run.

"P-Prairie Dog is a big _bully!"_ Kokichi sobs like a baby, even though moments before he'd been curled up in a ball on the floor with his hands over his face and a string of curse words flowing freely from his lips like a sailor. He's probably only doing this to make the others shun me now that he's in the safety of their presence.

… _"Safety"._ That's cute.

"You want another? 'Kay, here comes the freight train-" Unappreciative of his attempts to get me in trouble, I turn and barely allow a moment of hesitation as I launch my fist up against his lower jaw in an uppercut. My hard knuckles slam into his chin hard enough to snap his teeth together and halt his fake crocodile tears on the spot.

The rat must have actually thought I had a limit to how many punches I'd be willing to dish out...I'm sure he regrets opening his mouth again now. I'm still so enraged by our conversation, and seeing the teen half slumping against the door behind him until he's on the floor just isn't satisfying enough _._

One more wouldn't be so bad, right? For good luck.

I manage to punch him one more time right in the face so his head thumps back against the door with a force that makes him let out a boyish yelp. Unfortunately, a second later I'm lifted straight up off the ground by the back of my suit. I'm high enough that a guilty squeak is startled out of me in the process of looking back to see Kaito Momota with a dry expression. On the other hand, Rantaro ducks down from Kaito's other side to check on Kokichi in his dazed state, making a concerned frown as he tilts the shorter teen's head downwards to make sure I didn't do too much damage.

Considering the sound of his skull knocking against the door and echoing in the room…

…

Nah, he's fine. His skull is so thick he could survive a building landing on that melon, if going by how pig headed he can be with being such a know-it-all.

"Prairie, why the hell are you beating Kokichi up?" Kaito demands, up until Rantaro clicks his tongue and gently slaps Kokichi's cheek a few times to get his head out of the clouds. Once Kokichi seems to realize what's happening, he blinks a few times and lets the clearly annoyed Rantaro help him back up to his unsteady feet. A bit of a disoriented giggle escapes Kokichi despite the trauma to his face and head.

"We'll figure this out later, we don't have time right now. Have either of you two even done anything, or were you just horsing around?" Rantaro asks directly, looking from me to Kokichi and back.

"We developed crucial pictures…! As my cute rodent requested...my face hurts," Kokichi answers with a lazy but pleasant smile, trying to point my way and instead pointing in the complete opposite direction as I uncross my arms grumpily where Kaito is still dangling me by the back of my suit. Kokichi turns to where he's pointing when no one else looks that way, wobbling and then making a hum of confusion as he peers at the door and wall. "Hey…where'd Prairie Dog go…?"

 _I think I like him better like this._

My slight giggling at Kokichi's perplexed query has Rantaro clearing his throat to shut me up, prompting me to look back at him. He's definitely annoyed with me…well, I don't mind so much right now. I have his attention and he's away from stupid Kirumi for a moment.

Plus, I got to punch Kokichi in the face four times and make him go stupid, so there's that I can contribute my good mood to as well.

"I need to talk to Shuichi," I state, hearing Kaito sigh and turn me a little so his magenta eyes can meet mine with a raised brow. He probably thinks I'm going to cause more trouble and make a scene again... "I promise I'm done with using Kokichi as a punching douche bag, I won't hit him again! I pinkie promise~!"

I hold up my pinkie with an endearing smile, which seems enough to get Kaito to set me down simply by being cute. He takes my pinkie, nodding in agreement with a big flashy smile of delight. "Okay, I'll hold you to that promise then, Prairie!"

Turning to peer towards Rantaro and Kokichi, I can see Kokichi is still swaying in place and looking in a completely different direction, using the green haired teen that is casting me a dubious gaze as a means to stay balanced. Clearly Rantaro isn't gullible enough to be convinced by a cute smile thrown his way, but he's obviously not going to say anything since we're on a time constraint by Monokuma.

"...pfft...punching douche bag…" Kaito mutters with a chuckle of amusement, prompting Rantaro to turn his way with a sharp look until Kaito peeters off into a cough and plasters a more chiding scowl on his face. "I mean, let's go take this to Shuichi then! No more foolin' around!"

I reach out and steal Kokichi's hand from Rantaro sheepishly, dragging the still dazed rat along and letting him stumble after Kaito and I. Rantaro on the other hand goes to rejoin Kirumi and Tenko from where he left them. Tenko looks pretty smug from where she is, flashing me two thumbs up of pride that she doesn't bother to hide from a less than approving Rantaro as he stops beside her. Poor Rantaro looks really tired...I'll make sure to behave at least for the duration of the investigation and trial so he's a little less stressed.

Upon joining him, Shuichi has laid out some random items to Ryoma's side, Gonta and Kiibo standing by him and the body watching intently.

 _A pack of candy cigarettes, a monopad, what looks to be a piece of a ticket for a monomachine prize…_

"What's all this?" I ask, feeling Kokichi bump into my shoulder and cling to my hand as I pull him down to look at the items Shuichi is currently examining.

"Hm? Ah…some things I found in his pockets," Shuichi comments rather shortly, prompting my eyes to flick his way before I reach out and carefully pick up the damp ticket piece. It's still sorta floppy… "It got wet sometime and was ripped in his pocket, but it doesn't seem he has any other piece."

Leering at the ticket with Kokichi, I feel a spark of surprise when I see what the ticket is supposed to be exchanged for. It's cut off, but the barely legible ink spelling "tarine" makes it pretty obvious. In an instant, I can tell why Shuichi is suddenly hesitant with me around.

"Maybe he was planning on visiting me?" I suggest, shrugging at the way he seems caught off guard by me openly implicating myself. "Hey, I'd rather be implicated and proven innocent sooner than later."

"...Alright then," Shuichi responds helplessly, since…well, what can he say to that? Either way, he has more important things to focus on.

I feel Kokichi look my way, prompting me to turn my head. He looks a little grumpy now…but at least he's snapping out of it. He doesn't look like he's got anything to say in particular, observing my expression until I look back at the body curiously.

"Hey, uh…does his body look a little chubbier? Like in a saggy way? Or is it just me?" Kaito asks after a second, prompting me to cock my head to the side. Much to Kaito's and Kiibo's visible surprise, I reach out and poke one of Ryoma's cheeks curiously. Probably not the most respectful thing to do, but...evidence searching, right?

"Hmm...Ryoma maybe eat too much sweets? Not very gentlemanly. Too much sweets mean too much weights," Gonta suggests from beside Kiibo, clearly at a loss for how to investigate. The two are standing close to Ryoma's body, watching the rest of us examine the corpse. I can only imagine they've been placed here by Shuichi to make sure no one tampers with evidence on the body.

"Uhh...no. But Himiko might have had the right idea, if you ask me! Maybe someone chucked him in for a quick rinse cycle!" Kokichi says.

"I doubt it...there's no bruises or signs of him having gotten thrown about," Shuichi explains, visibly relaxing. "That's not really what we're looking for though. His death isn't ruled as a result of blunt force trauma, after all."

"Eh? Ruled?" I ask, looking up when Kiibo leans down to hand me one of the Monokuma File tablets and responds, "It's all right here, Prairie. The Monokuma File gives information on the victim as assistance since we ourselves aren't medical professionals."

"Ooo! Ooo! Lemme see too!" Kokichi orders, holding one side of the tablet and prompting me to make a sour face and reluctantly shift the file so we can both see it together.

The first part states the obvious, that being the victim's name, their height, weight, etc….I don't stay on that page long, quickly flicking to the next tab.

The second tab reads "situation", the page correlating to it starting off with text reading "cause of death". There's also a disturbing picture of Ryoma's corpse in the state Himiko and I found him, prompting me to recoil in disgust. To think Monokuma would go through the disrespectful trouble of photographing his dead body like this...that bear really is the most deplorable.

 _Cause of Death:_

 _The victim's body was discovered in the Ultimate Maid's Research Lab._

 _The 'cause of death was blood loss._

"...That's it? Monokuma wasted his time making four entire tablets that only share one new piece of information? Couldn't he have just told us that?" I comment, scrolling down to see if there's maybe some more hidden info. Sadly, there isn't. "So blood loss then...if he died of blood loss, why isn't there blood _on_ him? For that matter, where did he lose all the blood from?"

"Exactly. I've already looked at the body once and we went to examine other stuff to mull it over. Unfortunately, I'm still stumped, myself," Shuichi admits, visibly more relaxed in my presence even though I'm sure I'm still considered a prime suspect due to the ticket in his pocket. Hopefully my help will help to keep me from appearing too guilty of a crime I didn't commit...that's how this works, right? I'm not actually too sure…

Kokichi sighs beside me, releasing the tablet as I hand it back over to Kiibo. "Not even the Ultimate Detective can figure it out? Aah...what should we do now, snickerdoodlekins? Looks like we're in a bit of a bind~!" Kokichi bemoans, throwing an arm over my shoulder that instantly puts my mood into a dangerous state again.

Shuichi, Kiibo, and Gonta must sense the sudden chill in the air, the three looking like deer caught in headlights as I turn my head to smile sweetly at Kokichi. Kaito on the other hand seems to prepare himself for physical retaliation on my part.

"I don't know, but how do you feel about strictly liquid diets? 'Cause that's what the rest of your life's gonna look like once I send those pearly whites flying out of your filthy mouth," I chirp brightly with an innocent shrug and a sugary beam. "Remove your arm. **Or else**."

With a barely visible gulp on his part, one I'm sure only I notice since I'm close enough to hear it and see the subtle bob of his adams apple, Rat Face wisely removes his arm without a visible change to his current mask.

"Prairie…" Kaito is brave enough to speak first, prompting me to remind him, "I said I wouldn't punch him anymore, not that I wouldn't threaten him or do anything else."

He sighs and I return my focus to the body, examining Ryoma's clothing curiously to see if I can spot anything Shuichi may have missed. If I really need to, I can always use my intuition after scanning his whole body, but...I wanna reserve that for when it's truly necessary. Like during the trial if we hit a bind of sorts and need a boost to help us along.

 _If blood_ _ **was**_ _lost from the body, it was likely washed off or something and that's why the body's wet...but in that case, there has to be at least a few leftover splotches of blood stained, right? The problem is the fact Ryoma wears such dark clothes. If there's blood to prove the Monokuma File is trustworthy, we'll have less things to worry about. After all, what if the puddle by the vacuums is fake blood? I want to see a puncture wound somewhere, anywhere._

I pull up the back of Ryoma's leather jacket, hearing Kiibo make a noise of discomfort at how freely I examine the body with little restraint. Even Kokichi looks a bit disgruntled beside me, though he's hiding it pretty well that I might just be seeing things since I'm seeing it from my peripherals.

"A-Aren't you uncomfortable touching his dead body like that…?" The Ultimate Robot asks, his query startling all things considered. My expression must say as much, since Kiibo ducks back a little- that, or he's scared of me. I guess it could be both as well though.

"Of course I'm uncomfortable, but we don't exactly have a choice. If we aren't thorough, we could miss something and end up paying the price. I don't want to die. Do you?" I ask, earning a rapid head shake from the robot.

"Pfft. Prairie Dog, I don't think Kiiboy would know much about death. He could just be put back together like a build-a-bear if he's offed. I bet his maker even put one of those plush hearts inside him and everything! You know, the ones you have to do a whole dance with and kiss before it's closed up?" Kokichi comments, prompting Kiibo to snort and smirk.

"What? Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of my systems replaying the memory of Prairie punching you hard enough to leave a dent in the door," Kiibo answers, causing Kokichi to turn his head up towards Kiibo.

"Toaster oven reject."

"Anger management tool."

"...What build-a-bear? People making bears...like Monokuma? Is build-a-bear group that Small Prairie say kidnap us all?!" Gonta asks, suddenly fired up in rage.

I mean, even the name sounds pretty straightforward, though I guess the "bear" portion threw Gonta off. Still, it sounds really cute to make a whole teddy bear on your own and even put a little heart inside of it.

 _You're getting distracted! Focus! You don't have time to listen to these two clowns!_

"Cut it out, we don't know when Monokuma's gonna pull the rug from under us with this trial shit," Kaito reminds the two, causing Kiibo and Kokichi to break eye contact with one another. He then turns his attention to fired up Gonta. "And no, build-a-bear didn't make Monokuma. And they likely aren't the people that locked us all here either. They're just a popular American plushie corporation."

"Oh, okay. That good then," Gonta agrees after Kaito explains.

"Well, pushing that aside and getting back to probing the body...it's a good thing we have two professional defilers here willing to dirty their hands!" Kokichi comments, once again making useless comments and wasting his breath as I open Ryoma's jacket to find some sort of fabric that isn't black. Like a tag on the clothes or something.

When I flip up the hem of Ryoma's jacket, I hum knowingly when I find subtle tints of blood on the white tags along with…a sort of faded pale cream colored smear?

 _Okay, so blood and…? What's that other smear from?_

Kokichi tries to look, but I let go before he can see and ignore his grunt of annoyance as I instead flip the rest of his collar enough to reveal a similar pale cream tint that slightly covers the collar area of his jacket. At first glance, it almost looks like wear and tear of the jacket, but the rest of the jacket looks relatively new despite slight water damage. On top of that, the areas that the faux leather is detaching in patches doesn't look anything like the discolor at the collar.

"Shuichi, you see that, right?" I ask, prompting Shuichi to lean in closer. His movement as I point out the discoloration is followed closely by the other three in an almost comical manner, eager to see the discovery.

"..." Shuichi doesn't answer, instead, tilting Ryoma's head back so he can better see his neck. Without a moment's hesitation, I reach out and touch the neck area curiously until I realize it feels a little...different than the rest of his skin. Pulling my fingers back and looking at them, I realize the pale color has lightly transferred to my skin as well. "I think it's make-up."

"What? Why is there makeup on his neck? Is he hiding hickies or something?" Kaito ponders, watching as I remove my left sleeve and wrap it around my still ungloved left hand.

"Sorry, Ryoma," I apologize before reaching over and rubbing at his neck thoroughly enough that Kiibo grunts again. Eventually, I pull back...and we all stare at the peeled segment of makeup. It's a sort of body paint that seems like it can be layered over itself several times, since underneath the flaking dry flap is a cut about two inches wide, choppy and messy despite the stitches keeping it closed tightly.

"Huh...Gonta see same thing at Ryoma's feet," Gonta comments, crouching down to gesture. I hand him my now dirty sleeve and he starts rubbing at both Ryoma's ankles, up until we can see similar stitches behind both of them. They're actually still a bit…for lack of a better word, "juicy", with small globules of blood forming from Gonta's dry scrubbing.

"Okay, so we confirmed the Monokuma File isn't total bullshit. Now what?" Kokichi asks, looking from me to Shuichi and back like he's lost. Honestly, the idiot is probably making a million connections in his head right now. He's certainly not as dumb as he looks.

"According to the murder mystery novels I've studied in the past, I believe the next step is to find the murder weapon-" Kiibo explains, just as we hear Tenko's voice call out, "Hey, look! We found a knife!"

"You did?" I call back intrigued, jumping to my feet and ditching Kokichi as he scrambles to get up when my movement pushes him backwards so he loses his balance. "Lemme see."

"Wait, _Prairie-!"_ I hear Rantaro shout from somewhere, making me stop dead in my tracks and turn to find him.

Instead I turn to see a knife flying towards me in a swing, prompting me to drop down in a duck as it whisks past me overhead and ultimately misses me. As soon as it does, my temper sparks and I plant my hands on the ground to steady myself. With little thought, I don't hesitate to lift my dominant leg and kick Kirumi right in her ribs, the move making her stumble back into the arms of a visibly infuriated Tenko. Her arms snap Kirumi into an arm lock, prompting the Ultimate Maid to grunt at the position she's forced in.

 _Shoot, that was close! I really need to be more aware of my surroundings, what if she actually managed to get me? That would have hit my face directly._

Rantaro is already at my side before I push up on my feet, helping up with a sigh of relief and giving me a once over to make sure I'm not hurt anywhere.

"Thank god you have fast reflexes," I hear him comment, lifting my arms and examining me a little more closely than I would like. Those mother hen instincts are starting to get a bit intrusive again...

"Sorry…" I apologize despite my discomfort, slightly pulling away from him so he instead looks over my back. While he's busy, I turn my gaze to focus on Kirumi and Tenko, the Ultimate Aikido Master currently trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Drop the knife, _now!"_ Tenko snarls, adding more pressure as she squeezes Kirumi's detained arms harder. Kirumi is trembling a little from trying to break free of Tenko's grip, but after a moment of prolonged tension in the air as we wait to see what happens next, Kirumi finally drops the knife and Tenko mercifully loosens her grip. She doesn't release her entirely though, allowing Rantaro to snatch up the knife where she no longer has access to it.

"That could have ended really badly, thanks, Tenko," Kaito says with a breath of relief, just as I feel Rantaro take hold of my ankle to lift it back.

"What happened here?" Rantaro urges my attention back on him, prompting me to look back and open my mouth to respond honestly.

"Nishishi! Clumsy Prairie Dog was rough-housing with me and she ended up hurting herself. I cleaned it and sewed it up, but it might need some extra attention once we finish the trial. She didn't really take care of it," Kokichi speaks before I can, appearing beside me with a bright smile.

…

 _Okay. Not sure what that's about, but as far as I'm concerned, I meant what I said. I know Kokichi isn't a killer and I know he's not stupid enough to murder anyone. He can't be the culprit, plain and simple. Since I'm curious, I'll bite on this little lie and see where he leads us based on it._

 _On that note...I might keep the photographs from Shuichi a bit until we get to the trial and stuff. Hopefully Kaito and Rantaro don't bring it up early, considering Kokichi mentioned we were developing pictures like a total idiot when we came back in. We should let everyone else chase the fact that the murder might have happened_ _ **outside**_ _of the hotel first and see if someone trips up._

"Kokichi's a jerk," I state in confirmation to his lie, the wet photographs I've got tucked in the lower gap of my suit feeling all the more prominent with my dismissal of it. Hopefully this choice doesn't come back to bite me in the butt, but...it likely will.

I guess I'm fine with that though.

Rantaro frowns, looking from me to Kokichi and back until I have to turn away because I feel my cheeks starting to tint red with my lie. Am I getting better at lying? I don't know. I feel awful lying to Rantaro, especially since he seems to have this ability to see straight through me. We're supposed to be recovering our relationship, not cracking it more and more. Even if my lie _is_ simply for figuring out who the culprit is...I can tell it's not helping our case.

"We'll deal with Prairie Dog later, we have an investigation to focus on, Runturdo!" Kokichi huffs, suddenly snapping his arm out and snatching the survival knife from Rantaro's hand swiftly. When Rantaro realizes what's happened, Kokichi starts to walk around me, giving it a look and dodging Rantaro's attempts to get it back. "So this is the knife you guys found in team murder-sitter, huh? Nice, nice...very sharp. This would have _definitely_ killed poor Prairie Dog!"

"Kokichi, what do you think you're doing?" Rantaro demands, before Kokichi takes my ungloved hand and slaps the handle in my palm with a grin. Hmm...this knife looks kind of like my-

"This looks like _your_ knife, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi announces out loud, not bothering to lower his voice.

My heart actually clenches when I realize what he's gone and done, prompting almost all eyes around the room to turn our way collectively. They all heard him, that's for sure.

 _What is he trying to achieve by pitting everyone's suspicion on me? Is this retaliation for beating him up, or does he have a legitimate plan?_

... _Should I follow his directive?_

"So it does," I answer despite the feeling of alarm growing in my gut. It's not a new feeling, most of the people here have always thought I was suspicious anyways. Back in the beginning when I hinted I knew things they didn't, and then again when Maki brought up reasons why I could be the mastermind.

It doesn't make the feeling any less painful though. I don't like being constantly reminded that the killing game stops relationships from fully flourishing. There's always that hint of suspicion behind everyone's friendly gaze...

"...Um...but I don't think Prairie's related to any of this. I mean, she locked herself in Hotel Kumasutra because she was afraid of Kirumi attacking her again," Kiibo explains beside the body with Gonta, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"How do you know she didn't leave once or twice? She could have snuck out to get business done..." Kokichi points out, fanning the flames and looking back at me with a casual smile. "Right, Prairie Dog?"

This time I don't say anything, closing my hand around the handle of the knife and pulling my wrist out of his hold. I don't want to deal with his crap now. He can say whatever he wants- I'll let the evidence and logic do the talking during the class trial.

Diverting my focus from Kokichi, I examine the knife a little and turn it a few times while the eyes around the room study me and create suspicions of each their own. The blade itself has dried blood coating along both the smoothed end near the handle and the serrated tip. Going by the cuts we saw, I'm guessing the culprit must have used the serrated area at the neck since the sewn gash is a bit messy and choppy. The ankles though...likely used by the flat end of the blade considering how cleanly cut they were.

 _On that note...wouldn't the cleanliness of the cuts at his ankles also mean those were cut postmortem? I might have to ask Shuichi during the trial. It could point to the cut at his neck being the killing blow._

I'm just finished peering at the blood on the knife when Shuichi comes up to my side to look as well. I hand it over to him at the notice of his presence, earning a thankful nod for my consideration.

 _I'm obviously being framed and maybe Kirumi is too, but I won't strike her from the suspect list too early._

"If we find the killer, you can even throw the knife at them like you threw it at me! Remember? Like how you did after Ka-yay-day died?" Kokichi pushes much to my irritation. How do I turn the rat off? Is there a mute button somewhere?

"You threw _what_ at Kokichi?" Rantaro turns his attention to me now, snapping me out of my thoughts so I face him defensively. He looks horrified by Kokichi's statement, but I quickly hold up my hands to try and calm him.

"H-Hey, you're just gonna believe him like _that?_ The well-known pathological liar?" I ask, trying to look as small and innocent as possible. Going by Rantaro's growing scowl, I don't think it's working yet, so I pout in defiance and turn away from him. There's no way I'm getting chewed out for something that happened a while ago.

Rantaro sighs irritably, promptly followed by Shuichi and Kiibo sharing a concerned look beside us. Those two seem the most keen to have me and Rantaro make nice, but...jeez, how am I supposed to do that when he's still obviously being overbearing? I want to get along too, but he's making it really difficult! I can't be the only one that puts in the effort!

"Nyahaha~! You think this is useful, Shuichi? Atua told me it's strange that it's here," Angie cheerfully comments, skipping up to us with the She-Bovine, Moo-gi the Booger. Angie has a small glass bottle in her hands, presenting it to Shuichi who opens it up to examine the contents. He looks much less anxious and shy now, completely in the zone of the investigation. Shuichi really is the Ultimate Detective, isn't he?

Behind the two girls is Himiko who drags her feet a few steps behind them, only just then catching up to them as she eventually comes to a stop and seems to root herself into the ground much like a tree.

"You both have too much energy for what's going on…" Himiko comments, averting her gaze from where Ryoma's body lays so she doesn't have to look at him. Eventually, her eyes land on the washing machine next to the one Gonta extracted Ryoma from and she begins to fiddle absentmindedly with her clothes. "Nyeh...Prairie, should we consider _everything_ evidence? Like that bucket in the other machine?"

"What bucket?" Shuichi inquires seriously, tucking the knife Tenko found in a small bag handed to him by Kaito and then pocketing it as evidence for later. I jump on over to the washing machine in question and open it up, the metal mop bucket Himiko and I had seen from before still sitting there, overflowing with that large white fabric. As soon as I have that door open, the overpowering smell of bleach hits me enough to hold my breath as I carry the heavy thing out.

I set it down beside the group, Shuichi joining me and pulling on a pair of latex gloves from out of nowhere. Before I can ask where he got them, I feel a tap at my leg and look down to see Monokid waving a set with a flashy grin.

Smiling back even though I'm in the presence of the other students, I politely thank Monokid as I take them from him and slip them on my hands. Let them think what they want, I'm not going to just dismiss Monokid like he doesn't matter to me.

"Okay, lets see if any of this is useful…" Shuichi breathes, waving a hand in front of his face with a small cough. "That's...definitely bleach though."

"Hey, um...what if someone's unmentionables are in there? Is it really necessary to go through it? We could be invading someone's privacy…" The cow goes moo hesitantly, prompting my mouth to open before Shuichi or the others can say something.

"It's fine, we need to be thorough. This is the crime scene. If someone's undies are in there and they're worried about them being seen, they need to get their priorities straight," I answer curtly, not even sparing her a glance as I reach in. Although he's confused by the edge of hostility in my tone of voice, Shuichi hurries to grab the fabric in the bucket as well when he sees me get into action.

"Aaa...that smell is offensive to Atua," Angie comments, plugging her nose despite her cheery smile. Himiko does the same, shrinking back a little as Shuichi and I move to set it on the ground.

"...You may let go of me now, Tenko," I hear Kirumi comment after quite a while of Tenko continuously restraining her behind the rest of the group, followed closely by Tenko snorting in amusement. Considering I can't see them behind everyone's forms, I'm guessing that's a "no" from Tenko.

"Looks like it's just a faded white blanket," Kaito comments, peering closely at it with the others. There's actually a vague diamond shape print on it, but it's hard to see unless you squint. I know exactly what this is.

 _Alright, I think we've gotten more or less what we've been looking for...but we're still missing something, aren't we?_

It hadn't occurred to me until then, but...it kind of looks like our formation has dissolved quite a bit. I look to Kiibo and Gonta curiously, blinking a little until the robot notices.

"I'm sorry, is there something you need, Prairie?" Kiibo asks, prompting me to smile awkwardly.

"Yeah...aren't you and Gonta supposed to be watching a body?" I ask, prompting his eyes to widen and Gonta to gasp a little.

"Gonta sorry!" Gonta yelps, hurrying back to the station with Kiibo. Kokichi snickers, skipping over to my side and bumping his hip into mine lightly.

"Hi, there, boss lady!" He chirps with a smile, earning a silent half-snarl from me as a result. Is he trying to win back points or something for being a total jerk to me? It's not working. I still despise him.

"I hate you," I respond, turning back to the bucket where I see Shuichi pulling something else out from the shallow liquid bleach. It's a red rope, and I know exactly where it came from. Likely, Shuichi also knows where it came from...which doesn't really bode well for me considering it's looking more and more like I'm being framed more than Kirumi is.

"Nice," Kokichi states, just as we hear the school bell go off. It echoes in the halls and the research lab like a foreboding dull echo, reminding us we may very well be headed to our demise.

Our heads turn to look at the announcement monitor inside the lab, all of us watching the screen flicker on.

 _"Ahem. This investigation has gone on long enough, it's rather boring at this point! Oh boy, this is exciting! I'm so very glad we get to do this for the first time together…aaa, it makes my non-existent blood hot!"_

This is our last chance to find evidence and everyone's focused on the monitor...I don't have to watch that stupid thing to know only garbage comes out of that bear's mouth. Is there anything else we missed?

I turn away as Monokuma runs his mouth, eyes quickly scanning the areas of the lab we haven't yet looked at. Even Shuichi has decided to ignore the monitor when he sees me glancing around, removing his gloves and joining my side. Kokichi looks towards us, but just offers us a plastic smile and refocuses on the monitor. I guess that means we won't have to worry about him.

"Let's keep looking," Shuichi says to me, making me nod and walk back over towards the washing machines to start going through them to make sure we've found all the evidence we could. "Prairie, about this case...I-"

"I know everything looks bad for me. It doesn't matter, don't hold back with your deductions or we aren't friends. Even if you have to suspect me, that's fine. I'll do my best to defend myself so we can all get out of this safely," I reassure him, removing my gloves and opening one of the lower machines as we keep our voices hushed from the others.

Shuichi looks relieved by my words. I guess he's more concerned about suspecting the others and myself more than I thought…

"You can do this, don't worry," I remind him, watching as he pauses to swallow thickly. He seems a little intimidated by the thought, but eventually straightens himself up and blows out a breath. He'll be fine...it's the rest of us we need to worry about. I'm sure we can safely assume

 _"I guess there's no making investigations entertaining either way, it's simply what's necessary to get to the juicy portion of the killing game. Sorta like how the internet is just the necessary stage for watching nothing but erotic videos!"_

"What a disgusting bear…" Tsumugi interjects, sounding rather bitter. She's really a good actress, that's for sure…it's hard to believe someone would be compelled enough to walk around in their own killing game though. Isn't she worried she could be killed herself?

 _Later when this trial is over, I'm going to have to figure out a way to expose her...there's no way I'm content letting her waltz around without everyone being fully aware of her status._

I'm opening one of the top rows of washers when I notice something out of place above the machine. It looks like something metallic. Chances are it's the other evidence missing from the hotel rooms…

 _"That being said...it's time for the school trial you've_ _ **all**_ _been waiting for! Everyone please gather around the 'Altar of Judgement' in the courtyard garden! Puhuhu~! See you schmucks there!"_

I stand on the bottom washing machine rim and climb up a little, reaching for the metallic object and just barely grazing the top edge of the washer with my fingertips. It's kind of high for me...I'm gonna need to stand on the second level washing machine if I want to reach it.

Just as I'm about to climb higher, I feel arms wrap around me and lift me up, glancing down to see Shuichi. With that, I look back up and quickly stretch my arms to pull out what I see are the familiar chains I'd noticed missing from my old hotel room. The culprit clearly shoved them up there since hardly any of us are bound to look up for evidence.

As I'm grabbing them, one slides off the side and falls straight on Shuichi's head, prompting him to yelp and lose his balance enough that we both fall back in a pile with the chains landing on the two of us. I squeak upon the feeling of gravity pulling me down, but relax and sit up once I realize Shuichi has broken my fall rather nicely. Sitting on his stomach and pushing away the chains that have decided to land on his head and face, I almost start laughing at his expression until I see he's got a bit of blood on his forehead, just between his eyebrows.

"Uh-oh," I comment as he sits up, scooting back to sit next to him and the chains.

"Hey, are you two okay?" Rantaro is quick to get to us, but much to my quiet annoyance he first examines me before looking towards Shuichi and seeing the obvious blood on his face.

"What?" Shuichi asks, only to seemingly lose interest in whatever answer he'll get from us since he looks down at the chains between the three of us. Following his gaze, I can see the chains have bloody smears on a few places...which means the blood on Shuichi's face might not actually be his own. I'm proven right when Rantaro reaches over to wipe the blood from his forehead, making it flake off pretty easily. It's dried blood.

"We're out of time, let's go," Rantaro reminds us, taking my hand and pulling me up with him as Kaito comes by and helps yank Shuichi to his feet. I only yank my hands back once I'm able to stand on my own, turning away from Rantaro in disdain. I can hear him grunt in aggravation behind me, but still refuse to turn and face him.

"Alright! Don't worry, guys, we'll get through this together!" Kaito says, turning to the rest of the group.

"Will we…?" Himiko ponders, eyes downcast to her shoes until Kokichi elbows her ribs lightly. When she looks up at him, she almost appears hopeful.

"Probably not! This is a pretty hard case to piece together, so might as well pray to whatever god you worship that our executions will be swift and merciful!" Kokichi chirps, much to Himiko's visible disdain.

"...Prairie was right to punch you in the face…" She grumbles, stepping further away from him…only for Kokichi to reclaim the space much like he does to me.

And for some reason I feel a boiling sensation erupting in my stomach again at the sight. Am I jealous that he's doing to Himiko what he's only ever done to me? Yeah. Why's that? I _still_ don't freaking know. It's not like I enjoy him getting on my nerves…do I?

"Prairie, are you okay?" Rantaro asks after a moment, snapping me out of my thoughts long enough to see that the group is starting to leave the lab, leaving only Kaito, Shuichi, and Rantaro looking back at me. Rantaro looks a bit concerned at first, but once our eyes meet his shoulders seem to drop slightly and his eyes slit into leers at the foul look I shoot his way in particular.

"I'm fine," I lie and scurry past them so I don't have to answer any questions. Once I reach Kiibo and Gonta's side, I slow to a walk and relax beside them. We have other things to worry about, but I'm over here still frustrated at Rantaro for being overbearing and frustrated with Kokichi for being stuck in my head. Ignoring it is easier said than done, considering I missed Rantaro so much that separating from him hurts and for the fact that I've somehow developed a stupid crush on Kokichi not at all based on his qualities as an awful person.

 _Boys suck. I'm hanging out with Tenko and Himiko for the rest of the killing game._

"Prairie, are you okay?" Kiibo inquires beside me, prompting my gaze to fall on him. That's the second time someone's asking me that…

"Why? Do I not look okay?" I ask him in response with a raised eyebrow. The Ultimate Robot shrugs a little, cyan eyes sympathetic.

"You look a little upset is all. Though I figure considering the situation, we're all likely feeling a bit upset right now…" Kiibo observes, resting his chin on his hand thoughtfully. "I do think we did the best we could as far as the investigation goes. Hopefully we'll be able to pull through during the trial. After all, we do have the Ultimate Detective on our side, even if he is rather modest about his skills."

I'm not sure when I started feeling so nervous about the trial, but Kiibo's words are enough to relax me a little and he seems to realize this when he glances back at me. On impulse, I link my arm with his and smile up at him to his visible surprise.

"I feel better," I respond, happy to see his expression turn to slight awe.

"Ah! That's good! If you ever need help, I'm always happy to offer an ear," he claims, letting me cling to him like I usually cling to Rantaro.

 _Don't be scared. Think logically. There's no way Monokuma would let us all die during the first trial if we have a crowd to please. That would be disappointing and much too fast for something that seems as expensive as this. We're going to get through this one way or another- whether Shuichi leads us to the truth or Monokuma is forced to help...heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Tsumugi jumps in herself._

Before I know it, we've all reached the caged garden's Shrine of Judgement, and the mood of the group becomes stuffy with anxiety. I'm glad Kiibo could reassure me and drag me out of my own thoughts though, or I'd have forgotten to use my head.

I might be one of the few here now entirely confident that we'll get through this.

"Where the heck did that statue come from?" Tenko is first to ask, hand gripped tightly around Kirumi's to keep her at the opposite end of the group from where I am. Glancing Kirumi's way curiously, it's no surprise she's staring straight at me. Clearly she still wants to murder me. As for the statue Tenko is talking about…

"Neeheehee! It's a burly Monokuma! Hey, hey, Prairie Dog, does that do it for you? You gonna faint?" Kokichi laughs, suddenly appearing beside me so I have to scurry around Kiibo's side to hide from him. Kokichi has the gall to make a fake expression of despair by my actions. "Y-You're replacing me with the refrigerator magnet…?"

"Who are you calling a refrigerator magnet?! You really need to deal with your robophobia, it's getting ridiculous! It's no wonder Prairie doesn't want anything to do with you!" Kiibo retorts.

"Atua tells me…Kokichi might be jealous!" Angie suddenly pipes up, causing Kokichi to suddenly burst into crocodile tears.

"I am! I'm SO upset! WAAAHHH! How could she choose the broken egg timer over someone as cute as me?! She told me I was handsome, clever, and charismatic! Was it all just a LIE?!" Kokichi sobs out loud, ignoring everyone's dry stare leveled on him.

"You're pathetic, Kokichi," I huff from behind Kiibo.

He stops crying immediately, pressing a finger to his cheek to play dumb and stare at me. "Then why do you have a crush on me?"

So that's how he wants to play? Embarrassing me in front of everyone here? Nah. I'm not listening to him anymore.

I simply roll my eyes and turn away from him so I don't vomit in my mouth. If he's trying to make me stop having a crush on him, it's working.

…I think.

"P-Prairie, you have a crush on _him…?"_ Himiko is the first to speak up in horror at Kokichi's words, followed closely by Tenko's abject vocalization of disgust. "N-No! No way she does! I can understand a crush on Rantaro because he's at least one of the nicer menaces, but a crush on _this degenerate male?!"_

"He's probably plainly lying…" Tsu-moo-gi interjects, placing a hand on Tenko's shoulder that makes my temper spike a little when I see it. That traitor cow is more of a degenerate than any guy in our ranks… "By the way, where are Maki and Korekiyo anyways?"

At that point, Maki and Korekiyo push open the door and walk into the garden, prompting all of us to turn our heads. The two observe the group, Maki immediately crossing her arms and pushing one of her twin tails behind her back with a dry look.

"Let me guess- you all still haven't figured out anything? Figures," Maki comments, prompting Angie to hum in delight.

"Are you sure you should be speaking like that? You did not bother to help us with the investigation...maybe perhaps…" Angie perks up, grinning brightly and winking Maki's way. "Because you are in fact the culprit! After all, why would the culprit want to solve their own murder mystery? You even managed to drag another of us away since each of us were required to be in pairs! My divine link to Atua tells me you possess more guilt than the rest of us!"

"Neeheehee! Oh really, Angie? Because _my_ intuition is telling me Prairie Dog is guilty~!" Kokichi comments in a sing-song voice. It doesn't look like he's at all prepared to drop the fact I'm suspicious in this case at all- even if he'll end up holding the same amount of suspicion as me once we mention our discoveries in the hotel.

"...Considering the topic, are we expected to discuss and argue out here in that case? It seems odd we would be expected to hold a trial out here in the open," Korekiyo speaks up, chuckling a little. "This seems rather cheap considering the scale of everything else. After all, feast your eyes on that ridiculous statue over there…"

"Ah, no, there's an elevator here. Kirumi and I can confirm that...but I don't exactly remember where it is. I guess that's what we're waiting for..." I speak up, prompting all eyes to suddenly turn towards both myself and Kirumi. It isn't until I notice the edge of nervous accusation in their gazes that I realize why they're staring at me like that.

 _Did Shuichi forget to tell them where I went during the three days I was missing from the Killing Game?_

"...I told Shuichi when he visited me," I add, feeling their gazes ease up enough for me to relax as well. Even Tenko seems to let out a breath of relief from where she still has her hand wrapped around Kirumi's wrist.

"That would be right at the back behind the waterfall," Kirumi also states, causing Tenko's head to snap in her direction.

"Wait, why are you helping clear her from further suspicion if you want to kill her?" Tenko questions in obvious confusion. Kirumi quietly turns her head to look at her, the sewed up skin under her eye all the more prominent in the fake daylight.

"I am not the culprit. The only person I desire to kill is Prairie in order to take advantage of the golden target and keep the majority alive. It would be irresponsible of me to kill anybody else...as such, it would also be irresponsible of me to let Prairie die by any other way than by my own hand," Kirumi explains in such a matter-of-fact way that I almost question whether she harbors any of the same empathetic kindness she had shown me prior to her second attempt to murder me. Was she lying during those times? Does she really have that foul of a moral compass?

"You're sick, you know that," Rantaro says more than asks, though this time he doesn't bother to walk over towards me. I guess I pissed him off enough that he doesn't want to deal with me again...

 _Whatever...I don't care anymore. Nothing I do will ever satisfy this jerk, unless I let him lock me up in a castle tower or something. I'm too tired for this mess. Maybe I really am the one in the wrong? I don't even know what I actually want from Rantaro anymore. Can I not have respect and trust from him without him wanting to radically shelter me? Is that not realistic to expect out of him?_

"Aw, Rantaro...did you somehow break Prairie Dog again? You're such a closet asshole," Kokichi snickers as I step away from Kiibo and stare at the ground to try and get a hold on my spiraling emotions. Feeling like this and then jumping into a class trial...will I even be useful in any conversation other than showing the pictures I took in the hotel to Shuichi? What the heck is Kokichi bothering to use me for…?

Before anyone can add anything else to the conversation, The ground starts to shake a little, prompting me to hold on to Kiibo to keep my balance as water in the fountain sprays every which way from the movement. I nearly fall back into the fountain when Rantaro finally decides he's gonna help me again, racing over to me and catching me by my arm to pull me back and steady me.

 _Did Kokichi's words make him move out of embarrassment? Or is he helping me because he actually feels bad for being overbearing?_

It's reasons like those that are making me confused, on top of the fact that I still can't control my anger and that can hardly tell when I'm the one in the wrong until I've calmed down.

Turning my head, the waterfall at the back wall fountain has split open, along with the disappearance of the Monokuma statue holding a water vase I didn't notice disappearing since I was trying not to fall over. I guess I could thank Rantaro for saving me from being soaked during a class trial, but…

The shaking stops and we're all left staring at the elevator, a majority of us debating whether to enter it or not. This is our first trial- but not our first murder incident. Is it going to be difficult? What if there are actual repercussions to the trial that are unstated? Like…if we aren't entertaining or interesting enough?

"That looks scary…you really rode that before, Prairie?" Himiko shivers looking at the elevator, even taking a step back from it's direction as a path forms above the water to create a bridge. The technology is really advanced in this place, isn't it? "I don't wanna go in there…"

Nobody moves first, so Maki just sighs and steps in ahead of everyone. Following her suit, Rantaro tightens his grip around my hand and pulls me along. It's not tight enough that it would hurt me or even stop me from yanking my hand from his hold if I wanted to. That being said, I simply follow along behind him wordlessly and bite my tongue from saying anything.

"Let's go, Prairie," Rantaro just comments, allowing us to pass everyone and eventually cross over the little bridge into the elevator. It's much cooler inside there than it is outside in the fake outdoors, enough to relax me a little with the walking radiator that is Rantaro Amami beside me.

"We got this!" Kaito shouts, following us in with Shuichi, Tenko, and Kirumi next. Eventually the rest of us follow, and we all settle in the elevator. There's space for all of us, but even then it's a bit cramped despite the space. After all, it's fourteen people shoved in one elevator together...in fact, it's not even chilly anymore once we're all packed in with each other.

Rantaro has maneuvered me to the back and eventually settles against the caged wall of the elevator with me in tow. At first, I'm only annoyed by the continued pattern of his protective behavior when he wraps his arms around me, struggling to will myself not to explode at him even though I kind of want to. Moments after, I stiffen up a little when I hear his voice murmur by my ear.

"Can we talk a little?" He asks lowly, enough that I'm sure no one else can hear.

I consider his query carefully. I can shut him down now and keep blocking any attempts at communication with him, but…I still miss him. And even as close as he is right now, we aren't any closer than we are when we first met as strangers looking out for one another. If we don't try to patch our friendship now, we'll continue to be incompatible as friends altogether.

I don't want that.

"Okay," I respond, feeling his arms relax around me substantially. I guess he thought I'd refuse and leave it at that. Besides just accepting though, I continue to speak. "I'm sorry I'm always being a brat."

"You're not a brat. When I said that, it was wrong and immature of me. You have every right to be upset with me, even now. I'm sorry I've been so overbearing and I'm sorry I almost fell back into the habit of scolding you again right now," Rantaro apologizes, hugging me tighter. "I'm sorry I'm like this. We don't have much time to talk, but I'll do better. I promise. I know you're capable of taking care of yourself and I don't need to breathe over your shoulder or anything. It's...a bad habit."

I turn in his arms, pushing them off of me so I can face him and get on my tiptoes to also speak quietly in his ear. He has to lean down a little due to my height, of course.

"I still think I've been a brat regardless of whether you confirm it or not. I know I can't control my temper and I do want to fix it. There's times to get mad, sure, but I get mad for the smallest of reasons. I don't like being mad, it feels horrible. And I always feel guilty when I get mad at others during times when I'm definitely the one in the wrong," I explain honestly, pausing when I hear the others in the elevator make small comments. They pass straight through my ear, as if blocked out of a little invisible bubble around Rantaro and I. It's comforting being around him and not wanting to be passive aggressive or outright aggressive with him. I missed this. "It's also a bad habit of mine."

Rantaro nods in quiet understanding and I turn away again, pulling his arms around me once more to get comfortable before we hit a full stop. The elevator has been plummeting downwards for much longer than I expected, though I can't make a comparison to how it felt when I had passed out with Monosuke coming back up from the depths of the underground. Are we going to the same place? Or a different floor altogether? How many floors _are_ there exactly?

"Let's make a compromise. When we get out of this trial, we'll spend time together to figure out how we can both work on our faults. Does that sound okay?" He asks, moving his hand to brush some of my hair behind my ear and stopping immediately when he seems to realize what he's doing. Before he can move his hand back, I reach up and direct his fingers to tuck the lock of hair behind my ear properly. Turning my head back to look up at him, I offer a small smile.

"I'm okay with that."

The elevator comes to a stop and a bell dings, signaling our arrival.

Whatever happens...at least I have one less thing to worry about and one more thing to look forward to. We're going to survive this for sure…

And hopefully, our relationships with the others will survive too.

 _ **End of 3.17 - Intro to Investigations**_


End file.
